A Glenrothes community group has welcomed news of two developments that could transform perceptions of the town as a retail destination.
The Glenrothes Area Futures Group has said that a new shopping and leisure complex in the town centre could provide a stepping stone to establishing a much sought-after night-time economy.
Marks and Spencer is just one high-profile retailer already lined up to feature as part of the North Street development, along with restaurants that would see the relocation of the CISWO social club.
Ron Page, spokesman for the group, also said that a masterplan to regenerate the Saltire Centre retail park could actually benefit the town centre by providing healthy competition to retailers there.
Mr Page added: “The plans are great news for Glenrothes town centre.
“A Marks and Spencer Simply Food store coming to the CISWO area would be superb.”
Earlier this week, The Courier revealed that restaurant chains Frankie and Benny’s and KFC were also looking to move in to the new town centre development, which could be in place as early as next summer if planning permission is approved.
Members of the CISWO have been consulted and back the plans, that would see them relocate and renovate Fife Council’s social work building on South Street.
Unlike other communities in Fife, Glenrothes’s main shopping precinct is privately owned.
It is this reason that is often given for the lack of an evening economy in the town, with the closing of the Kingdom Shopping Centre largely signalling the end of any activity in the area.
Keen to change this, Mr Page said: “A night-time economy is something that we’ve been looking at for several years.
“We believe that any town centre must be vibrant.
“It has social and economic benefits and it is something that we have wanted for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Mr Page also endorsed a new masterplan that proposes to transform the Saltire Centre retail park, adding new units and renovating those of current retailers such as Homebase, Matalan and Brantano.
Rejecting claims that the out-of-town development could jeopardise the town centre, he added: “I don’t believe it would be bad, I would see it as a challenge to the Kingdom Centre.
“We’ve known for some time that the Saltire Centre owners were looking at the whole business.
“It has been under-used for years.”