A Glenrothes councillor has called for an urgent review of the town’s stock of empty lock-up garages.
Bill Brown, representative for the west of the town, says empty garages are a target for vandals and should be reallocated or sold off if there is no demand.
His words follow a spate of fires deliberately started last month that saw tens of thousands of pounds of damage caused to personal property, including cars.
Fife Council has since confirmed those blocks affected will not be rebuilt, with other garages nearby offered as an alternative to residents.
Mr Brown told The Courier the sheer number of empty garages in the town means it does not make sense to replace the damaged buildings.
“I’m not surprised they are not being rebuilt, as the town has quite a number of empty garages,” he said.
“The fires caused a lot of damage and distressed a lot of people. Fife Council needs to review its lock-up garage stock.
“Empty ones just attract vandals and it would be better to sell them off instead of having them sitting there.
“It makes sense to offer them to people who want them and could look after them.”
Residents in the area were offered the opportunity to purchase their own lock-ups five years ago as part of a council effort to reduce its stock of empty buildings.
Dozens are thought to lie empty in the Tanshall, Macedonia and Caskieberran areas, with car owners seemingly happy to leave their vehicles outside their homes.
During the economic downturn it was also thought people couldn’t afford to rent lock-ups from the council.
One person affected by the recent fires was Valerie Boughtwood, a resident of Sinclair Avenue in South Parks whose car was destroyed in a blaze at her block of garages.
She said most of the people affected now park on the street, though the scene of devastation has barely changed.
She said: “Nothing has happened in the past month the cars are still in the garages because of the asbestos in the roof.
“The insurers have been brilliant and I’ve got a new car now most of the people have bought the same cars as they had before, actually.”
Confirming that the affected garage blocks would be torn down, Fife Council’s Louise Sutherland, area service manager, housing operations, said: “We’re seeking agreement to demolish the garages that were affected. We are working with customers to relocate them into empty lock-ups in the same place.”