Leven Promenade

Fife Council are proposing to carry out a range of improvements on Leven Promenade to improve its appearance, accessibility and amenity.

It’s an exciting time for Levenmouth as millions of pounds worth of investment is being made throughout the area.

Of course, Leven itself will become a real focal point as it prepares to welcome the return of rail passenger services to this part of the world for the first time in well over 50 years.

With that in mind, there is a local aspiration for comprehensive improvements to Leven Promenade, including active travel provision, landscaping improvements, provision of a new skate park, and improvements to parking areas.

Development work is ongoing for this project and an application to the Levenmouth Reconnected Programme Fund is anticipated when the time is right.

So that’s why we’re now keen to hear people’s views on what could and should be done to make Leven’s fantastic Promenade a more attractive and usable place for residents and visitors alike.

Amey Consulting has drawn up two potential design schemes, Options A and B, both of which intend to increase the space for promenade users and improve active travel (walking and cycling) connections along the promenade, linking to the town centre, visitor attractions, the Fife Coastal Path and the new Leven Rail Station.

Please take some time to study both design options and complete a short questionnaire which aims to capture what elements people would like to see on and around Leven Promenade over the coming months and years.

All feedback is welcome and will help inform the final designs to be taken forward.

Option A Design Intentions

Improve connectivity between the city and the seaside.
The arrangement of the retained car parks has been improved with provision for disabled cars and permeable paving to help reduce the stormwater runoff. Central car park to be reduced in size to provide a new building for toilets and showers, including a number of accessible cubicles. At least half of the car park is to be reserved for disabled parking spaces.
Northern car park to be replaced by a Crazy Golf, and along the skate park and arcade at each side, to create a meeting hub for older children and teenagers.
New green infrastructure to improve the promenade scene. To retain existing trees and hedges where possible, and to provide new specimen trees, planting, wild flower, and lawn areas.
Provide new areas for community engagement, e.g. open areas for events such as open cinema nights, concerts, and local market.
Relocate the existing play park to allow for the addition of a natural play area to engage children with the natural environment. Opportunity for hidden features/sculptures within groups of trees as well as for using the landscape bund as a base structure for slides, tunnels or climbing.
Area for the Beachcomber family event space to be moved slightly away from Festival Gardens to allow the gardens to spill out onto the promenade. The new structured garden will frame views to and from the gardens, providing a water feature for play and establishing this as a key central gateway along the site. New wide steps to the beach are to be provided and aligned with the new garden.
Retain existing paths and alignment to reduce cost but widen selected crossing paths to improve the movement of pedestrians crossing from the city to the promenade main path.
Provision of shared area for food trucks, picnic tables and benches.
Retain part of the original infrastructure and increase provision of areas for community engagement and events.

Option B Design Intentions

Improve connectivity between the city and the seaside.
Key nodal points have been identified to link with the wider connections and town centre.
The arrangement of the car parks has been improved with provision for disabled cars and provision of bigger permeable parking spaces to help reduce the storm water runoff.
Rain gardens have been provided to the car parks and along the Promenade (street side) to attenuate storm water runoff as well as act as a buffer between the road and footpaths.
Tree planting has been located along key routes and used to create vistas, framing key links and gateways.
The promenade has been softened with a variety of planting, tree planting, wild-flower meadows and improved lawn areas, all to improve the biodiversity of the site and interest when dwelling or travelling within the site.
Provision of a natural play area to engage children with the natural environment.
Area for Beachcomber family event space to be moved slightly away from Festival Gardens to allow the gardens to spill out onto the promenade creating a key viewing platform along this stretch of the promenade framing views to and from the gardens and providing a water feature for play and to establish this as a key central gateway along the site.
Key buildings have been retained and integrated within the promenade with new and improved amenity space.
Picnic benches have been provided along the whole of the promenade with sheltered areas and spaces with more interest.
New seating and key nodal areas have been established along the sea wall to create viewing areas and improve the relationship with the beach and promenade.