Britain’s last Communist councillor will have a lasting legacy in the form of a new visitor centre at a popular Fife park, it has been agreed.
Members of the Cowdenbeath area committee have backed a motion calling for the new £1 million facility planned for Lochore Meadows Country Park to be named after Willie Clarke in recognition of his immeasurable contribution to the local area.
After more than 40 years of public service, Mr Clarke stood down as a councillor for the Lochs ward earlier this year due to ill health, but his former colleagues and friends on the area committee said they wished to ensure the highly-respected Fifer’s name graces the new centre for generations to come.
Council officers have now been asked to consult with local community groups and the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust to seek their opinion on the proposal and agree a suitable name for the new centre, although the Willie Clarke Visitor Centre appears to be the frontrunner.
Councillor Alex Campbell, who lodged the motion to committee, said it would be a fitting tribute to someone who has devoted the best part of his life to serving the people of Fife.
“I went to see Willie and when I told him about this he was pretty much grinning from ear to ear,” he said.
“Willie has been involved in helping to develop the park over the years and it now attracts a huge number of visitors.
“He campaigned to get sand at the water and every time I go past on my bike there are loads of bairns there. He wanted to have a putting green there and now there’s a nine-hole course there as well as a putting green.
“One of the real grievances that he’s got is that the bus doesn’t go there, and he’s still campaigning for that to happen.
“Willie has a real soft spot for the Meedies and his contribution has been honourable.”
Seconding the motion, Councillor Mary Lockhart added: “Nobody is so much a piece of living history than Willie Clarke.
“Willie’s association with the Meedies and its history goes back well before my lifetime.
“Fife Council has built a tremendous resource in Lochore Meadows Country Park and it’s one I don’t believe would have developed the way it has without Willie Clarke’s input, clout and tenacity.
“The new building has been part of Willie’s dream.”
Committee members also highlighted Mr Clarke’s positive role he played in the mining industry through the mining union, both locally and nationally, and suggested the new centre could and should be extended to include some form of mining heritage facility.
“Willie would be really pleased to see that happen because it’s the one thing that Fife is missing – a proper heritage centre to recognise the contribution of mining to this area,” concluded Councillor Linda Erskine.
