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Plea for retailer to fill gaping town centre hole left by Kirkcaldy Tesco closure

The Tesco store in Kirkcaldys Postings Shopping Centre has now lain empty for a year.
The Tesco store in Kirkcaldys Postings Shopping Centre has now lain empty for a year.

The former Tesco premises in Kirkcaldy is still lying vacant a year after the supermarket giant left the town centre.

At the start of 2015, Tesco announced it was axing 43 stores which had recorded disappointing profits.

And, despite a public outcry, the supermarket in The Postings Shopping Centre closed its doors last April.

Bill Harvey, business improvement district manager at Kirkcaldy 4 All, said as far as he knew there had been no interest in the Hunter Street premises.

“We would love to see another retailer move there, regardless of what kind of business it was,” he said.

“It’s a big space and we would like to see it occupied, not just for Hunter Street but to offer more choice across the town centre.”

Mr Harvey fears the town centre will suffer further as a result of plans for five new shops within the empty former Homebase store at Fife Central Retail Park, which closed in August 2015.

“Trading conditions are very difficult for all town centres, not just Kirkcaldy,” he added.

“We’re challenged by people buying online. We’re also challenged by the retail park.

“They are now trying to expand the retail park by five units and an additional two kiosk units for food.

“Given the size of the units, that is a direct threat to us here in the High Street.”

At the end of last year, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced the Scottish Government’s plan to review business rates.

Mr Harvey added: “The rates review will certainly make it a far better climate for people to invest in opening up businesses in the town centre.”

And in October last year, Kirkcaldy area committee chairman Neil Crooks expressed fears for The Postings after the demise of its anchor tenant.

Mr Crooks told The Courier that the number of passengers arriving at Kirkcaldy bus station had dropped by 18% in the wake of Tesco’s closure.

The Postings car park, once Fife’s busiest, now lies practically empty.

Investment company Columbia Threadneedle, which owns The Postings, was contacted by The Courier but did not respond.