Supermarket firm Tesco has confirmed that work on a fire-ravaged site in Dunfermline should start this week.
Barr Construction will strip out and remove asbestos on the former site of Thomsons World of Furniture in Bruce Street as part of the plans to create a 60,000 square foot store and petrol station which could create around 500 jobs.
Fife Council granted planning permission, subject to conditions, in 2008 to Tesco to redevelop the site. However progress was delayed by an extensive fire in August which raged through the building for six hours.
Such was its intensity that 50 firefighters were involved in trying to combat the blaze. As a result of the fire, much of the building’s roof has been destroyed.
Following the fire talks took place between the council and Tesco with a view to the demolition of the building.
Concern had been raised from Councillor Joe Rosiejak, one of the representatives for the Dunfermline Central ward, about the length of time it had taken to clear the site. On Wednesday Tesco confirmed work will start on the site this week.
Corporate affairs manager Doug Wilson said, “Our main contractor will be starting on site this week with soft strip and asbestos removal works which will be followed with the start of the heavy demolition over the next month.
“We are delighted to be moving forward with the new store and the investment and job opportunities that it will bring to Dunfermline.”Two conditionsTesco has already met traders and Dunfermline Delivers to outline its plans. The proposal was given the green light subject to two conditions.
First, that before development began a detailed plan should be provided on areas of interest of historic merit. Also, the council asked that access should be given to council officers to retain any items worthy of salvage.
Another condition was that all the slates should be removed by hand for reuse.
Tesco revised its plans in January last year to amend the number of parking spaces from 707 to the agreed figure of 615.
It was also agreed a series of roadworks would be necessary to accommodate the supermarket.
These will include a three metre wide footway/cycleway on the south side of the realigned Bruce Street; a three metre wide footpath/cyclepath on the west side of the site linking Bruce Street with
Carnegie Drive and the Glen Bridge car park; widening the Bruce Street carriageway by 500 millimetres on the west side adjacent to the former railway viaduct and relocating the footway below the first arch of the viaduct.