No, not another Council by-election in Fife but a novel consultation to involve locals in the deciding which projects merit Council spend.
The vote is based on individual honesty, participants must live in the area and there are checks in place to help identify any potential fraud.
FIFE Council is calling on local residents in the Cowdenbeath area to have their say on “Oor Bit” and vote for their favourite local projects.
£250,000 has been made available through Fife Council’s Cowdenbeath Area Committee in partnership with Community Councils and other community organisations to encourage local people of all ages to come up with ideas to improve oor bit of Fife.
In the first phase, which ran over the summer, local people generated over 150 ideas online and by completing and returning postcards. These ideas have now been reviewed by a steering group of local people and council staff resulting in a short-list of 30 projects to be put to the public vote.
Area Manager Kevin Sayer commented: “I’d encourage everyone in the local area to get involved.”
Now it is your chance to decide how that £250,000 is spent in your local area. To do so you must be over eight years of age and live in the Cowdenbeath Committee area.
Projects to vote on range from:
- cycle routes
- skate parks
- outdoor gym equipment and
- community clean-ups.
Voting takes place at open public events and online via www.oorbit.d21.me.
The vote kicked off in Lumphinnans on Saturday 29th October where members of the Lumphinnans Social Group went door-to-door with the ballot papers. While Hill of Beath hosted an event in the Community Centre on Tuesday 1st November, Crossgates followed on Sunday 6th November at the royal British Legion Club.
Other voting events were held in Cardenden, Lochgelly, Benarty Centre. With the Kelty event being held on Saturday 26th November,
Voting will close with an event at Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre on Sunday 27th November.
Wednesday 30th November is the big day for the announcement of the successful projects. This takes place at the Cowdenbeath Area Committee at its meeting in Hill of Beath Community Centre
Please do vote and you can do so online now!
Kevin added: “Anybody aged eight and over living or working in the Cowdenbeath area is eligible to vote. EVERY VOTE COUNTS – please attend the local events (look out locally and on local Facebook pages for more information) or vote online at www.oorbit.d21.me ”