A major refurbishment of Inverkeithing town centre which will make it “fit for the 21st century” has begun in earnest.
The immediate area around the Civic Centre on Queen Street, which forms part of the setting for the historic Friary building, is being upgraded thanks to £200,000 from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Fund.
The work will trigger a wider Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project scheduled to start later this year which also includes major improvements to the High Street and central conservation area, as well as a £475,000 restoration of the historic category A-listed Town House.
The at-risk historic landmark is set to be given a new lease of life and will include the creation of a community hub.
The Heritage Regeneration project is being funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and Fife Council and led by Fife Historic Buildings Trust.
Councillor Alice McGarry, Convener of the South and West Fife Area Committee, said: “Inverkeithing has been crying out for a streetscape uplift to provide a fitting setting for its many listed buildings.
“The streetscape proposals include restoration of the Mercat Cross, the old “ports” or gateways, and provide many opportunities for community engagement.”
In an initiative thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland, stone for the project is being sourced as part of a sustainable stone procurement initiative and will be supplied entirely from Scottish quarries.
The project, led by Fife Council Planning and Transportation and assisted by Historic Environment Scotland and the Stone Federation of the Great Britain, allows the material to be geologically matched to existing stone already in use in Inverkeithing.
Councillor Altany Craik, Convener – Economy, Tourism. Strategic Planning & Transportation, said: “I’m delighted that this important heritage-led regeneration project has started.
“Scotland is a country built in stone and it’s still in evidence in many of our historic places, like Inverkeithing.
“The drive to combine sustainability (in sourcing local stone) and respect for the historic environment is inspired.”