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Roll out the red carpet for new residents
April 23, 2008 1:48 PM
Dunfermline's new residents will be a crucial factor in the success of the revitalised city centre, according to the local MP Willie Rennie. But he said it was vital that a fresh approach be adopted to make them feel welcome and provide the important services they need so that they want to become part of the Dunfermline community rather than considering their home simply as a suburb of Edinburgh.
Mr Rennie is frustrated at the failure to make the introduction to Dunfermline smooth for the thousands of people who have moved here in recent years.
The MP cited the problems with catchment areas and insufficient capacity in schools like Masterton; overcrowded GP surgeries; the lack of shops, dentists and health services; and poor customer care by developers as examples of the failure to give a proper welcome to people who choose to live here.
But he said that with the fresh team on the council and new leadership in the city things were beginning to change.
"Our treatment of new residents has been dreadful. They have been attracted to a reawakening city by slick advertising but they quickly discover levels of disorganisation that a Raith Rovers manager would be proud of. Lots of local people are equally annoyed and frustrated at the way these changes have been handled.
"Like an oil tanker it takes time to turn around but I am determined to roll out the red carpet for the thousands of people who have moved here from Edinburgh and further afield.
"The city centre has been in the doldrums for years but now there are the green shoots of recovery with Debenhams and the grand new Kingsgate shopping experience towering over Carnegie Drive. And that's only the beginning with the re-emergence of the Alhambra Theatre, a facelift for the High Street and a new city square on the cards.
Mr Rennie continued:
"Over the next few years we will see the emergence of a shopping centre that can rival the likes of Perth, Stirling and Falkirk and can be far more intimate and personal than Edinburgh. We will have a mixture of retail, leisure, entertainment and heritage for the whole family.
"As the resting place for Scotland's Kings and Queens and the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie we have the history to match the best.
"I am determined to ensure that our customer service improves so that all new residents consider Dunfermline as their community.
"With a fresh team on the council and new leadership in the city I am confident we can have a city to be proud of once more.
"I want new people to the city who live in the eastern expansion, and many other new estates cropping up all over West Fife, to consider Dunfermline as their city."
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