The forthcoming closure of Cupar Sheriff Court, the departure of the RAF from Leuchars and uncertainty over Tesco’s investment plans has left the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Fife “concerned” for the short-term economic future of the town, it has emerged.
The organisation is also concerned about the wider impact of the forthcoming loss of the police control room in Glenrothes and fears there could be a future blow if Cupar-based college courses are ever cut following the creation last year of a merged Fife College.
The FSB in Fife has welcomed news that the Scottish Government is to modernise the country’s courts to ensure small businesses can more easily pursue debts in sheriff courts rather than going to the expense of using the High Court.But with Cupar Sheriff Court set to close at the end of May following the Scottish Government-backed decision by the Scottish Courts Service, the organisation has told The Courier it is particularly concerned about the potential economic impact of the court closure.
FSB Fife chairman Joe Sture said there was already evidence of at least one business investor relocating investment.
“We are losing the police control room, we are losing Cupar Sheriff Court, and we are preparing for the six-month gap between the RAF and before the soldiers and families arrive.
“The problem with the army is they tend to go away on exercise en masse so what impact will that have when they are away? How will we generate jobs for the families returning from Germany?
“It’s not looking good in the short-term for the Cupar area and we must push hard for immediate investment in the area to encourage more job creation and business investment in the area.”
Cupar Fife councillor Margaret Kennedy said she shared concerns about the economic impact of court closure.
She said: ”Businesses are often unable to take a day off to travel significant distance for court services.
“I do recognise of course that a great deal of paperwork can be done online. However there is a potential impact on local businesses when hearings etc are required.”
But Cupar Fife councillor Bryan Poole suggested it was premature to write-off Cupar’s economic fortunes.
He said:“I’m not sure what Mr Sture is hoping to achieve by issuing alarmist press statements. He states that ‘we’ve already seen one member of FSB move investment out of Cupar to Edinburgh as a result of the closure decision’.
“So on the basis of one business moving to Edinburgh Mr Sture and the FSB is ’very concerned’ for the economic future of Cupar. This is a ridiculous conclusion to arrive at.
“The facts are that though the retail sector throughout the UK is experiencing difficulties and huge change, not least because of the impact of the Internet, Cupar town centre is doing better than most comparator towns.
“There are fewer empty shops in Cupar than any of the medium sized towns in Fife and we have many retailers that are the envy of other towns.
“Whilst I would acknowledge that the reduction in numbers at Leuchars will present a challenge to Cupar and the surrounding area this area has faced bigger economic challenges in the past e.g closure of the Beet Factory; the Wireless Centre and the council headquarters moving to Glenrothes and has continued to thrive as a small economic centre e.g. Look at the Industrial Estate on the edge of town and as a community that provides unrivalled opportunities for young people and young families to grow and develop.
“Unlike Mr Sture I have confidence in the community of Cupar, including the economic community of Cupar and I would appeal to him to stop issuing whimsical press statements and get behind Cupar businesses.”
On Friday the Scottish Government published a bill to reform the civil court system, which was criticised for being “slow, inefficient and expensive.”
New specialist personal injury courts will be introduced to speed up proceedings. And the financial threshold for sheriffs hearing cases will be raised from £5,000 to £150,000.
Ministers say the reforms will make civil justice more accessible, affordable and efficient. The Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill implements many of the recommendations of a review carried out by Lord Gill, Scotland’s most senior judge in 2007.
The Scottish government said the measures would ensure the right cases are heard in the right courts at the right cost.
With a focus on the wider Fife economy, a spokesperson from Scottish Enterprise said: “We are committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to help maximise the opportunities for growing Fife’s economy.
“In particular, we are actively involved in the Community Planning Partnership and Fife Economy Partnership to help make this happen.”