£100,000 funding for arts hub at former Dunfermline fire station

The derelict fire station in Dunfermline could be open to the public as an art hub by next summer.

Funding is now in place to transform the iconic 1930s art deco building after Fife Council donated £100,000. Extra cash is coming from external sources, including Creative Scotland and a further £70,000 from the area committee.

Director of Fire Station Creative Billy George stated: “There’s a lot to get sorted out relating to procedures and mechanisms but my hope is that we should try and aim for early next summer to get going.

“We’ve had a great deal of support and people are genuinely quite excited about the plans.

“It’s about people and the local community. That’s what we’re trying to tap into, to bring a bit of life, vibrancy and creativity to the town.”

The building has been unused since the fire service moved to Pitreavie in 2010 and plans to develop the site have been backed by singer Barbara Dickson, novelist Ian Rankin and punk-turned-filmmaker Richard Jobson.

The plans are for an arts resource, including a gallery, caf, and classroom for artists, designers and the wider community.