Kirkcaldy councillors vowed to fight for the future of their town centre despite cancelling a cut price parking scheme.
The town’s elected representatives pulled funding for the £1 for two hours pilot, which was implemented more than two years ago in a bid to halt the decline of the High Street.
Having been told that the scheme was not proving cost-effective, disappointed councillors said alternative solutions to boost footfall would now be examined, with several suggesting the adoption of a “Glenrothes Model” of granting free parking for an initial three hours.
However, with fees set to fall in line with those across the rest of Fife from April 1, committee chair Neil Crooks warned that the town’s traditional shopping precinct faced huge challenges.
“The money spent here has shown our commitment to Kirkcaldy town centre,” he said.
“But people recognise the economic pressures on the High Street and we need to share that view across Fife Council.
“We have lost Tesco, BHS and Next. This is huge.”
Mr Crooks suggested the situation merits the creation of a special task force, similar to that established following the collapse of papermaker Tullis Russell in Glenrothes, adding: “Trading conditions are getting more and more difficult.”
Councillors introduced the trial in September 2015 as part of a bid to support the local High Street, which has struggled to compete with the Fife Central Retail Park on the town’s northern edge.
Short-stay parking fares between one and two hours were reduced by 50p to £1, while the cost of long-stay charges were also slashed.
The cost of a quarterly season ticket was cut from £120 to £60, with uptake said to have risen dramatically.
Though disappointed by the cessation of the trial, Bill Harvey, manager of Business Improvement District Kirkcaldy4All, thanked Fife Council for subsiding the scheme.
However, frustrated at the continued expansion of the nearby retail park, with Scottish Government planning appeals overturning council decisions on two occasions, he suggested that the High Street would have to continue to diversify to survive.
“We have the Fife Central Retail Park at the top of the town.
“With the exception of B&Q, every shop there was at one time on the High Street.
“We still have small independent shops opening and maybe that is the way that the High Street has to develop.”
