The Levenmouth Connectivity Project is the Leven Programme’s flagship project. It looks to transform walking, wheeling and cycling in the Levenmouth area.
The wider ambition of the project is to connect Loch Leven to the Firth of Forth through a world-class active travel network alongside the River Leven and surrounding communities, enabling local people and visitors to travel sustainably along the entire 26km length of the river with connections to public transport hubs, residential areas, schools, shops and places of work.
We are currently working on delivering the first stage of our vision, which focusses on the Levenmouth area and a 5km stretch of the river from Cameron Bridge to where it meets the Firth of Forth at Leven. This is being delivered by Fife Council and Green Action Trust, funded by Places for Everyone (an active travel infrastructure programme backed by Transport Scotland and administered by Sustrans) and the Levelling Up Fund.
We opened consultation with local people in 2022 regarding finalising the routes as we entered the detailed design phase. In the Community Involvement section at the bottom of this page you'll find the feedback we received and how this has informed design.
Construction of Phase 1 of the Active Travel Network, which will provide links to the new railway stations at Leven and Cameron Bridge, will commence in early 2024.
What does the Levenmouth Connectivity Project involve?
The project aims to reconnect the communities of Leven, Methil, Methilhill, Buckhaven, Windygates and East Wemyss to each other and the river, through the creation of a safe and attractive walking, wheeling and cycling network that is accessible to all.
The project has been split into two pieces of work, that are being worked on collaboratively to provide one, connected network:
- Active Travel Network - Segregated cycle routes and widened footways across Levenmouth, primarily along existing roads.
- River Park Routes - Upgraded existing paths as well as creating new ones along the River Leven, linking residential areas and allowing communities to access the river and existing assets of the area. If you have a particular interest in the river valley and would like to know more, click here.
The proposed changes include:
- Providing cycle routes which are fully separated from the main carriageway.
- Traffic calming for on-road cycling on quiet residential streets.
- Fully protected crossing points.
- Walking, wheeling and cycling connections between areas of housing, shops, schools, and workplaces.
- Connections to rail stations.
- Improved rail and river crossings.
- Shared use river park routes with associated seating, lighting and planting improvements.
- Improved surfacing.
How could these changes look?
Segregated walking, wheeling and cycling
A segregated cycleway separates people walking/wheeling, people on bikes and vehicles, giving each group their own space. See the example below of how a two-way segregated routes will look on the Leven Promenade.
Shared use paths
These paths are designed to be shared by people walking, wheeling and cycling, and are suggested mostly in areas away from traffic and close to green space. See the example below of what a shared use path could look like in the proposed river park area adjacent to Poplar Road.
Traffic calmed, on-road cycle routes
On residential streets, footways will be widened and improvements will be made to support on-road cycling, as shown below on Station Road, Windygates.
The entire network including proposed future routes are shown on the map below. Click on the image to view in full screen.
Community involvement
Community input and feedback is a key part of the design and delivery of the Levenmouth Connectivity Project. Over the past few years, we have worked closely with many community groups, schools, businesses and local people to gather their input into the routes. We will continue to work and communicate regularly with all interested parties to ensure that the routes and their design reflect the needs of the local communities.
There will be key points during the Levenmouth Connectivity Project design phase where we will be looking for community feedback on our proposals.
November-December 2022 was one of those key points where we sought community input on the design proposals. To find out about what we learned and how we're taking that input forward, click on the link below:
However, we welcome feedback or questions from local people, groups, and other interested parties at any time. If you would like to get in touch, please email us.
Behaviour Change Action Plan
The Behaviour Change Community Action Plan proposes actions that encourage more people to walk, wheel and cycle in Levenmouth and complements the proposed active travel network being developed in the area.
The plan was developed as a co-production with the local community, facilitated by the Sustrans Communities Team. A community steering group with local community organisations and stakeholders was also formed to develop the plan and continue to meet on a monthly basis to oversee the implementation of the plan.
In 2023, thanks to funding from Sustrans and Fife Council, the Connectivity community steering group were able to organise a participatory budget. This is called Our River Leven Community Fund and is managed by Coalfields Regeneration Trust on behalf of the group. The purpose of this fund is for local community groups, organisations and initiatives to deliver towards the actions within the above plan by bidding into the fund.
On 27th of January 2024, a public voting event was held so local people could vote on which bids they'd like to see delivered. This was highly successful, resulting in the whole £80,000 being committed and, thanks to local solidarity between groups, each accepting a little bit less than they asked so that everyone could be funded!
If you live in Levenmouth and are interested in joining the community steering group, please get in touch - Contact us.