22nd January 2021

The Fruit and Blossom (FAB) group of Sustainable Cupar offers an alternative Wassail this year. This traditional event has taken place in January over the past 10 years in the community orchard, Millgate, Cupar. Unfortunately this is not possible this year due to the current lockdown, but the FAB group has prepared a Wassail pack to allow anybody to celebrate in their own garden or at home.

The Apple Wassail is an ancient practice, with roots at least in the 16th century, to wish the trees to produce a fruitful crop in the coming year.

The pack is available to download for free on the press release page of Sustainable Cupar website –

https://www.sustainablecupar.org.uk/Index.asp?MainID=30985

The pack contains instructions on how to hold your own Wassail, including songs, a headdress to cut out and a recipe to make a delicious figgy pudding. There are also useful notes on how to plant fruit trees.

Past Newsletters

2nd November 2020

Sustainable Cupar calls for a change in direction to make our streets safer for walkers, wheelers and cyclists. The Scottish Government has reported pedestrians and cyclists killed and seriously injured is at a 10 year high.

People walking and cycling now represent one third of those killed and seriously injured (KSI) on our roads. There is no downward trend in these numbers.

Although the headline of the report notes that car user casualties decreased 10% last year, the number of people cycling who have been killed or seriously injured is the highest it has been in over 10 years. This is before the pandemic had any effect on the number of people cycling.

For children, those walking and cycling are over 75% of those killed or seriously injured. The peak times for child casualties coincide with when they are going to and from school.

Councillors should consider whether they can condone building a sub-standard roundabout, without features recommended in official guidance on safety, on a main route to school in Cupar.

Sustainable Cupar has sought to constructively engage with Fife Council on the design of this roundabout in the last three and a half years. We hope that these worrying statistics bring a realisation of the need for an appropriate design in this location.

For further information, please contact Gordon Pay on 01334 657748

30th November 2020

Fife Council has been urged in local newspapers to improve its cycling infrastructure, making it pleasant and safe.

The new development for the retail park on South Road, Cupar, including a roundabout in the process of being approved by Fife Council, is an example of where Fife Council could do better.

On what is already a busy street which currently includes access to two supermarkets, roads to local housing and the main road to Ceres, all within approximately 260m, walkers, wheelers and cyclists already face difficulties in crossing South Road.  The new junction provides no improvement, and without crossings on South Road can only make the situation worse.

Scottish Government planning guidance “Designing Streets” clearly states that for new developments the needs of local pedestrians and cyclists should be given priority, however, Fife Council have ignored this and said the guidance doesn’t apply, despite the area clearly sitting within the town boundaries and having a residential as well as retail purpose.

Gordon Pay, Sustainable Cupar Chairperson said “The whole situation is extremely disappointing, the developer hasn’t requested the roundabout, and the current plan leads to an increased risk of injury for both pedestrians and cyclists.

“Sustainable Cupar is a partner in Fife Councils Climate Action Plan, which, along with Fife Council’s plan to resolve poor air quality in the town, is supposed to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling in Cupar.  We would prefer Fife Council to work with us on projects which promote active travel such as the “Red Route” that aims to provide a key active travel link across Cupar, including a much-needed additional crossing on South Road.”

For further information, please contact Gordon Pay on 01334 657748

Plastic Reduction Group Action Plan - 2019

The plastic group was active in 2019.  It surveyed local hospitality businesses and found a large number were moving away from plastic straws and cutlery.  In 2020 the group has not been as active but if anyone wishes to raise matters related to plastic waste or wishes to organise action in the town please contact us through this website or on Facebook.

The interim aims which were adopted by the group was to remove plastic from the environment through local action and support to wider campaigns:

1. replace all single use plastic with a less damaging material, or, if that is not immediately feasible,

2. reduce use and recycle all damaging plastics to minimise environmental impacts of, or as a last resort to

3. minimise threats to the environment for nature or human health now and long-term by safer methods of disposal.

The result of Sustainable Cupar’s eagerly anticipated 2019 ‘Humbug Poll’ shows that out of three proposals, the town most wants to see a speed reduction for traffic throughout the town. 195 votes were recorded, with 89 votes for 20mph town wide, 77 for a free town bus, and 29 for continuing free charging for electric cars.

Sustainable Cupar Chair, Gordon Pay, said, “Each year, at the Christmas fair and light switch-on in Cupar, we ask the public what new ideas we should pursue. Giving people a Humbug sweetie to record a vote is a bit of fun, but it does help to increase engagement. The reaction to our stall has always been really positive.”  

“Annually we gain great feedback from Cupar’s families visiting our stall at the fair. This year’s was held in the Old Parish Centre.  Based on previous years we have been taking forward new cycle routes, campaigning for district heating and restoring the Moor Road to Ceres.”

Three jars were each filled with 100 Humbugs, a jar for each proposal. This year the 3 proposals were illustrated with drawings by 3 Castlehill Primary pupils. Visitors to the Sustainable Cupar stall cast their vote by removing a humbug from their preferred option.

Gordon Pay was able to reveal, “Though it was a close-run affair between two of the options, in the end there was one that was the clear favourite.  46% chose to support a 20-mph speed limit throughout the town for a healthier environment and a healthier community.  39% supported an improved free electric town bus service to give people the option of leaving the car at home, and 15% wanted Fife Council to keep electric car charging free.”

Mr Pay said that, “Sustainable Cupar will take these results as a steer in choosing its next campaign. We already know that the Community Council are keen to see 20-mph in Carslogie Road extended to the Bonnygate, and in South Road and at the Burnside residents have called for 20-mph speed limits to improve safety.” 

“I would go further” said the Chair of Sustainable Cupar, “There are compelling justifications in these places, and when you put them all together it just makes more sense to make it town wide. This would help cut air pollution, improve safety and encourage more cycling and walking.  Allowing people to get out of their cars makes for more on street chance meetings, and allows for a happier healthier town.  We now know this has strong support in the town”

Gordon Pay, Chair, Sustainable Cupar

Fifteen people joined forces with Sustainable Cupar and Pitcairn environmental volunteers to make 23 bird boxes at the bandstand in Haugh Park on Saturday 15th June.

The bird boxes will improve the habitat in the much depleted Owlet Wood and completes another part of the More Moor Road action plan.  The nesting boxes are suitable for great tits, blue tits as well as other hollow-dwelling birds.  One or two were built with open fronts for robin and wrens to nest in.  Fife Coast and Countryside Trust donated 2 massive owl boxes to improve the chances of tawny owls returning to the wood.

Help will be needed to get the bird boxes installed.  Please get in touch if you want to get involved with that job. 

Sixteen members and friends of Sustainable Cupar (including 4 young people) planted 300 young trees along Moor Road. A mixed species 40m hedge, aimed to feed pollinators like bees, beetles and butterflies, went in along the top section. Soft fruit cuttings from FAB were planted along the way and, with the wild raspberries already growing, Moor Road will have an edible verge for humans too. Rowan, crab apple and dog rose were set in natural groupings, as were the rescued Scots pine and birch saplings. Unfortunately, due to a nation-wide shortage, the vole guards were missing from Woodland Trust’s tree delivery. When they do arrive, there will be a second day of outdoor action to protect the new trees. Everyone was home when the rain came on heavily and watered the new planting in. 3 new benches, also purchased with Driving a Thriving Cupar money and 3 rustic seats, to provide resting places for walkers on the steep incline, will be installed by Fife Council Environment Service. An interpretation board with content from Cupar Heritage and Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, giving a taste of the history of Moor Road and what to look out for along the way, will be installed later in the spring at the Cupar entrance. Bird and Bat boxes, including large ones to give homes to tawny owls in Owlet Wood are planned too.

Cupar orchard’s wildlife pond has been given a much-needed clean up, thanks to the support of Fife Golf Trust.

The pond had become overgrown, with little open water left for wildlife and Sustainable Cupar’s Fruit and Blossom group, which manages the community orchard next to the pond, was keen to undertake some restoration work.

But members needed a helping hand as clearing the well-rooted vegetation by hand would have been a challenging task.

Fife Golf Trust, which is a member of the Fife Biodiversity Partnership, offered to help.

The trust donated a digger to clear a proportion of the vegetation to create an area of open water, and waste was left on the banks to allow any wildlife to make its way back to the pond.

The pond, which is next to the riverside path, is home to an array of wildlife, from dragonflies to frogs, and it is hoped this work will create a more diverse space to attract a greater range of biodiversity.

“This is an excellent example of how we can work together to improve our environment for wildlife and people, making Fife a richer place for everyone,” said Johanna Willi, who coordinates the Fife local biodiversity action plan with partners, as restoring and creating ponds and wetlands can be one of the best things for biodiversity.

• The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition), 5th January 2019

Sustainable Cupar at Farmers Market Saturday 20th October 2018

The Fruit and Blossom Group of Sustainable Cupar will be distributing apples at this Saturday’s Cupar Farmers Market.  Apples have been donated from across Cupar and gathered from the Orchard in Millgate.

Sarah Davidson, Co-ordinator of the Fruit and Blossom group has been bowled over by the weight of apples donated.  ‘We don’t need any more donations but would welcome visitors to our stall who wanted to help in the orchard.’

Apples will be distributed free and tastings will be available of different varieties.  A limited supply of apples rings, dried apple slices, may also be available for sampling.

We are very grateful to the Farmers Market for the opportunity to meet more of our community at the market.  We would welcome any questions about Sustainable Cupar activities.  Anybody who wishes to contribute to our efforts on projects such as the Moor Road, Active Travel, District Heating and, of course, the Orchard can sign up to Sustainable Cupar. 

What do you think about the school run?

Whether you are trying to get around Cupar on foot, with a small child, in a wheelchair or on a bike, the experience of doing this in Cupar can be very difficult. In 2015, prompted by concerned parents from Castlehill Primary School, Sustainable Cupar embarked on an investigation as to how the safety of children travelling to and from school could be improved.

Please, if you are a parent, carer or teacher, do the survey below so we can get more information about how you feel about active travel to and from school in Cupar.

up | edit 2 | delete