A raft of projects which aim to transform town centres across Fife have been unveiled.
Members of Fife’s policy and co-ordination committee have backed a list of proposed initiatives which will receive a share of £4.35 million through the Scottish Government’s £50 million Town Centre Capital Fund.
Fife’s allocation is the highest award to any Scottish local authority, reflecting the size of the region’s population, the number of towns in the area, and the scale of investment required.
While the funding has been welcomed, some councillors have expressed frustration certain areas will miss out.
Kirkcaldy is the big winner as it will receive more than a third of the allocation, but schemes in Cowdenbeath, Cupar, Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Inverkeithing, Leven and Lochgelly will also benefit.
Labour councillor David Ross, the local authority’s co-leader, said the main focus of the fund would be targeted in mid-Fife, where town centre property vacancy rates range from 19.6% in Leven to 27.3% in Kirkcaldy – far above the Scottish average of 12%.
“There are obviously areas who would have liked to have seen some or more funding but if we spend it too thinly then we would lose the impact it will give us,” he noted.
Funding of £400,000 will go towards the acquisition of key buildings in Kirkcaldy’s Merchants Quarter to enable town centre living and commercial development, while the same sum has been earmarked to deliver commercial development on a number of town centre sites.
Kirkcaldy will also see £350,000 going towards enhancements along the waterfront, including converted shipping containers being turned into business space, and extra cash going to improvements of the steps connecting the bus station to the High Street, the creation of a distinctive gateway to the Merchant’s Quarter, public realm improvements and car parking improvements.
Around £500,000 will go towards delivering commercial development in Glenrothes, with £50,000 set aside to create pedestrian routes opposite the Kino Cinema, while Dunfermline will receive £300,000 towards the development of the Maygate Enterprise Hub.
A further £450,000 has been earmarked for the Inner Court/Bonnygate mixed use development in Cupar, the so-called “gap site”, and Cowdenbeath will benefit from funding to turn the former Town House into a third sector hub and the acquisition of property in the town centre as part of planned regeneration works.
Leven will be boosted by £800,000 for projects to deliver the second phase of town centre regeneration focusing on the north end of the High Street, and also to refurbish vacant dilapidated town centre units.
Elsewhere, Inverkeithing has been allocated £170,000 to expand the impact of the town’s built heritage programme, while Lochgelly will be given £300,000 towards a new Town House Square which will be used to host open air events.
Conservative councillor Tony Miklinski expressed concerns officers have only had a matter of weeks to draw up the list of beneficiaries.
“I broadly support what we’re trying to do but my concern is that because we have not had much time we might spend this money on the wrong things,” he said.
Labour councillor Helen Law also couldn’t hide her disappointment that only one Dunfermline project had been selected.
She added: “I did have high hopes that we would receive funding for the projects that were visibly shovel ready.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Donald Lothian said: “Money needs to go where it is most needed and not just because it’s a fair spread and everybody gets something.”
