The world’s oldest linoleum factory will finally be demolished this autumn, after 20 years on the market.
Scottish Enterprise has confirmed the former Nairn’s linoleum works in Kirkcaldy will be knocked down within weeks, once the contract for the work has been awarded.
The historic building in Victoria Road has been in a state of disrepair for many years and is clad in unsightly blue netting to prevent falling masonry landing on one of the town’s busiest thoroughfares.
Demolition consent was granted some time ago, despite an “economically unviable” bid by Historic Scotland to preserve and repair the 120-year-old A-listed factory.
Fife Council has welcomed the news and expressed hope that razing the site would serve as a catalyst for regenerating the entire area.
Councillor Neil Crooks, chairman of Kirkcaldy area committee, told The Courier the intention was to begin a charette an intensive community planning exercise to ask people how they would like to see the neighbourhood developed.
“It would take in the site on Victoria Road, right along to Factory Road, Nairn Street and up to Overton Road,” he said.
“This could be a development site and we would look at the sort of things we would like to see in there.”
He added: “I don’t want to look back in four years’ time and think we should have done something about the mess in Victoria Road, which is completely overgrown and full of dilapidated buildings.
“We need to get this building demolished because it can’t be good for potential investors to come in and look at this dereliction.”
Mr Crooks said demolition had been agreed by the area committee two years ago but it had taken time to organise it. Before then, many proposals were mooted and rejected for the site.
“At one point we were talking about having a sheriff court, police cells and a police presence there,” he said. “That was two chief constables ago but it soon became clear there wasn’t going to be the money available to do that so it fell through.”
Other ideas included a leisure attraction, a supermarket and a library, museum and archive centre but all were withdrawn or fell through.
Some 10 years ago the building featured on the BBC show Restoration, presented by Griff Rhys Jones, which focused on 30 historic UK buildings at risk.
The aim was the pick one to be restored, in the hope that the publicity would attract investment for the remaining 29. That also failed to attract funding and demolition was agreed as a last resort.
“I would be glad to see it down,” Mr Crooks said. “Since no use has been found for it in the last 20 years, demolition was the obvious decision for us to take. I’m just surprised it’s taken this long for it to happen.”
Forbo Nairn, which still operates at another site in Kirkcaldy, vacated the Victoria Road premises in 1985. Scottish Enterprise bought the building and 12-acre site in 2001.
A spokeswoman for the organisation confirmed the demolition project was out to tender and demolition was due in in the autumn, although an exact date has yet to be set.
At its peak, the Kirkcaldy linoleum industry sustained six factories in the town, making linoleum using linseed oil. It took over from floor-cloth production, which had been going on in the town since 1847.