Dunfermline’s Top Community Issues
What matters most to local people, based on thousands of real Facebook comments
We analysed thousands of Facebook comments made on Dunfermline Press posts to better understand the issues that matter most to local residents.
From an initial dataset of over 8,000 Facebook posts, we identified 42 discussion threads with particularly active debate. These threads contained more than 4,400 individual comments, which were then grouped into clear topics based on recurring themes. The result is a ranked list that reflects both the volume of conversation and the strength of engagement on each issue.
Key Topics
The topics below are ranked by Priority Score, with the most important community issues appearing first. Each card includes a short description and an example comment taken directly from the Dunfermline Press Facebook discussions to reflect real voices from the community. You can learn more about how these scores are calculated in the Explanation of Metrics section at the bottom of this page.
01
High Street & Retail Economy
Shops, retail parks, and the economic health of the town centre.
"Why not reduce the rates in the Kingsgate to attract shops?"
02
Community Issues & Local Pride
General quality of life, civic pride, and community issues in Dunfermline.
“We need to take more pride in our town and look after it.”
03
Housing & Development
New housing developments, planning, and infrastructure impact.
"They build all these houses with no thought to the local area…"
04
Transport & Roads
Traffic congestion, road repairs, roundabouts, and driving conditions.
"Don’t hate me, but….. fix the potholes!"
05
Healthcare & NHS Services
Access to doctors, dentists, and hospital services.
"And no sign of extra doctors, dentists or bigger hospital…"
06
Council Tax, Pay & Spending
Council tax rates, use of funds, and councillor pay.
“Council tax goes up every year but services get worse.”
07
Public Transport & Connectivity
Bus services, routes, reliability, and connections.
"Public say no. Business says no. Fife Council goes ahead anyway…"
08
Environmental & Green Space Concerns
Parks, green spaces, and environmental priorities.
"Ridiculous keep building more and more houses, no green spaces left…"
09
Local Councillors & Representation
Trust and accountability of elected councillors.
“Amazed this is the first time councillors have spoken up about this.”
10
Leisure, Sport & Public Amenities
Leisure centres, pools, sports facilities, and public spaces.
"This is a wasted opportunity. Ideal site for a proper leisure facility…"
11
Schools & Education
School capacity, facilities, and education quality.
"And no sign of extra doctors, dentists or big schools for the extra population…"
12
Immigration, Disability & Local Priorities
Concerns around immigration, disability services, and local priorities.
“How about making the town more accessible for wheelchair users?”
13
Community Trust & Accountability
Promises made vs. delivered by local government.
"No surprise really, Labour told many lies to get elected…"
14
Events & Cultural Life
Local festivals, events, and cultural activities.
"Fife Council please move with the times! It’s 2025 not 1975…"
Explanation of Metrics
Volume
The total number of comments that relate to this topic, based on keyword matching. A higher volume means more people are talking about the issue.
Engagement
The average number of likes per comment for this topic. A higher average suggests that comments on this issue receive more agreement, support, or interest from other readers.
Priority
A single measure of a topic’s importance, combining how often it’s discussed (volume) with how strongly people react to it (engagement). The highest-ranked topic scores 100, and all others are shown as a percentage of this leader.
What do you think?
We want to know what issues affect you, your community and Dunfermline.