For up to date information on all activities by Elie and Earlsferry Action Group please go to their Facebook:
http:// https://www.facebook.com/Elie-Earlsferry-104461078410254
Aim The Aim of the EAG is to initiate, support and co-ordinate collective decisions to improve the environment of the local community in order to maximise amenity for both residents and visitors.
Background The community, comprising Elie and the Royal Burgh of Earlsferry, is situated in the picturesque East Neuk of Fife and has a long-established reputation as great place to live and visit . However, over recent years demographic changes have affected the dynamics of the community . For example, the percentage of holiday and second homes has increased with a corresponding decline in the full-time resident population. The lack of affordable housing precludes many families and younger people from settling in the area so their contribution to village life is lost. Coupled with this is a climate of fiscal austerity, which has affected the availability of funding, both at household and local authority level, to maintain or improve the fabric of the village. All of these factors and more present significant changes and challenges.
The EAG provides an opportunity to create a broad vision for the village and its environs by working with the community, local businesses, Fife Council, the Community Council (CC) and other community groups to enhance the quality of the environment, particularly the quality of public spaces, gardens, buildings and street furniture (e.g. signage, lighting, seating, bus stops, etc.).
The EAG has been set up to establish, promote and execute this vision. In particular it seeks to ensure that all investment in the local environment is of high quality and responds to the rich and varied character of the East Neuk. The necessary skills are available from within members of the community to support project delivery and project funding will be resourced through a combination of fundraising activity and grants.
Objectives The EAG is to establish the vision for Elie and Earlsferry providing leadership for achievement of the vision and for delivering/enabling a range of improvement projects to enhance the local environment.
Membership of the EAG is as follows:
• Graham Meacher (01333 330 525 / graham@meacher.org.uk)
• Carol Birrell
• Steve Blaney
• George Cowan
• Alistair Graham
• Angela Johnston
• Graham Johnston
• Ian McIntosh
• Bob Mitchell
• Pat Rowan
If anyone would like to help please contact Graham Meacher (01333 330 525 / graham@meacher.org.uk) All welcome!
Completed since formed:
- TG bus Shelter project (FC Best Project Award 2012), with associated patio with picnic table, herb garden, cycle rack and visitor information panel.
- Rusty railings replaced in Archbold Park.
- New picnic tables purchased for Archbold Park, Woodside Park and Toll green.
- Anti dog fouling awareness campaign.
- Litter picking.
- Repaint/repair telephone box on TG.
- Village clean-ups.
- Removal/replacement of rusty poles.
- Removal of obsolete signed/poles/lamp posts.
- Campaigned for new pavements and street lighting.
- Repainting of railings and fountain on TG.
- Beautiful Fife Award winners Silver (2012) and Silver Gilt (2013-2019).
- Extra litter bins installed.
- Sand removal.
- Purchase/install hanging baskets (29) each year and pay for watering them throughout season.
- Install new planters and maintain.
Current projects:
- Callum’s Corner - memorial bench and plaque for Callum McIntosh on TG.
- Adopt phone box when it comes on BT disposal list and convert to water top top point (with Scottish Water).
- New community notice board for TG.
- Replace faded village map and history board on TG.
- Refurbish fountain and restore to original colours.
- Fundraising to pay for all we do!
Aspirational:
- Major improvements to village gateways, including correct village name signs!.
- Create Golf Heritage Trail (with E&EHS).
- Prune trees on TG.
- Install information boards on TG (with E&EHS).
- Creation of decent dedicated cycle and walking paths.
Update from Elie and Earlsferry Environment Action Group (EAG) from Graham Meacher
1st November 2022
All the floral displays were looking really good again this year - and still are. Thanks to everyone who has
bean planting, weeding and watering throughout the summer, the results are well worth all of the effort.
Thanks also to those who have been painting, cleaning, sweeping and litter-picking. All of this and other
work goes on throughout the year in the background, without any fuss or fanfare, to help make the village
a pleasant place to live and visit.
The next community Tidy-Up event will be on 11 November – meet on Toll Green at 2.00pm suitably
armed with gardening tools and implements.
Review of the season and update on current projects:
a. Toll Green fencing refurbishment. FC has almost completed painting the fence and has replaced
the sleeper fence along the west end with a simple open fence (some work now required to retain
soil and stone chips). New metal gates for TG still to come (wheelchair accessible).
b. Replacement information boards (TG). These have been installed and look great.
c. Repair/refurb of Victorian lamps (Church Gates). This has turned out to be a protracted project
and taken much longer than anticipated, with delays due to many things, not least Covid. Latest eta
for lamps is “end of next week”.
d. Repair/refurb of Victorian Water Pump. Following preliminary enquiries with a suitable restorer it
has been decided that full restoration would be appropriate. This would involve removal of the
pump and repair of the stone plinth. As the pump is a listed building, HES will be contacted for
advice on how best to proceed (and help with funding).
e. Future of ‘Buffet Bothies’. CC is requested to contact Derek Chapman to seek removal so that the
east end of TG can be reinstated to its former glory.
f. Name signs for Archbald & Hyde Parks. Suitable name signs will be purchased and installed.
g. Replacement of large square planters. Half barrels to be used as replacements for the 4 large
planters (2 at church & 2 at Wadeslea) and will be purchased over the winter. These will be seated
in low metal pedestal frames to help keep the planters away from grasscutters and urinating dogs.
Future Projects:
a. Flagpole on TG. Neil Grieve has kindly agreed to take on this project and will liaise with FC through
CC. Work involves dropping the (hinged) flagpole to repair the halyard pulley, re-position upper
stays (to prevent flag tangling) and repaint the flagpole.
b. Tree pruning on TG. Suggestion that the existing trees be felled and replaced by something more
appropriate for the setting, e.g. ornamental tree variety (as per Going Forth proposal). CC
requested to lead with FC to achieve this outcome.
It has been noted that there are 2 diseased trees and a bent one which need removing. These are
all presentation trees and the suggestion is to replace with a single tree, which would allow space
for memorial tree for JR (see below).
c. Memorial Tree for JR. CC has asked EAG to procure and plant a suitable tree, which we are happy
to do. Alex Nairn (Elie Estates) has offered to gift an oak tree; however, this would be unsuitable for
proposed site (TG). EAG will seek expert advice on appropriate tree type then purchase and plant.
Graham Meacher
