The City of Dunfermline Area Committee has approved £30,000 for a participatory budgeting project.

Participatory budgeting gives local people direct control over how public funding is allocated in their area. A resident-led steering group will be established to design and deliver the process. Community members will then decide which local projects receive funding.

The investment will focus on Baldridgeburn, Bellyeoman, Broomhead and Headwell and support projects that help tackle poverty and improve community wellbeing.

The project follows a successful participatory budgeting exercise in Abbeyview last year. Residents worked together to identify local priorities and fund projects that mattered most to their community.

Cllr James Calder, convener of the City of Dunfermline Area Committee, said: “Local people know their communities best. This funding will give residents a direct say in how money is spent in their area. It’s an opportunity for people to shape projects that make a real difference locally.

“The approach also supports stronger communities and greater community involvement in local decision-making.”

The project also supports a key recommendation from the Dunfermline New City Assembly. Assembly members called for more involvement of residents in decision-making and better communication about local plans.