A historic Dysart walkway will only be reopened if the price is right, according to Councillor Kay Carrington.
She said opening Sailor’s Walk up to the public once again would be a huge boost for the area but financial constraints would ultimately decide the route’s fate.
The walk, which links Ravenscraig Park to the picturesque harbour, was closed in November 2012 after a section of the cliff on which it is built collapsed.
The steps linking the two areas have been fenced off since, but there have been reports of children circumventing this and climbing the steps, despite the obvious dangers.
Keen to see the path made safe and brought back into use, Ms Carrington said: “We don’t want to lose the walk but it will all depend on the amount of money that it’s going to cost to repair it.
“It’s a vital link between Ravenscraig Park and the harbour and that ties in with the coastal path as well. We will have to see but hopefully we can get it reinstated.
“However, if it’s going to cost silly money then it will be hard to raise that money from Fife Council alone.”
The path used to be an integral part of Dysart harbour, which was once a hub of international maritime trade.
Ships travelled to and from the Netherlands and Scandinavia, with harbour workers and crew using the Sailor’s Walk to make their way to and from the town.
Today, the harbour remains hugely popular with locals and tourists, although the Sailor’s Walk remains closed.
The route has just been surveyed by a Fife Council official, who said a report on the state of the path will be made public shortly.
Ross Tulloch, lead professional for civil and structural engineering, said: “We are continuing investigations into the best way to restore the steps and had a geologist on site recently to assist with this.
“We plan to report back to elected members in the next few weeks with our recommendations.”