KIRKCALDY'S MSP is leading a bid to secure a grant for the town centre after becoming convener of a Scottish Government committee.
Marilyn Livingstone, who is convening the cross party group on town and city centre development, said that Kirkcaldy was an ideal candidate for funding from the £60m Town Centre Regeneration Fund.
She said: "Kirkcaldy's town centre is featured in th
e UK's top 20 high streets worst-hit by the recession with 21 per cent of the High Street currently empty. We must take urgent action to help our town centre.
"A successful application for the Town Centre Regeneration Fund would see significant investment for Kirkcaldy town centre and is within the Scottish Government's aims of providing economic, social and environmental benefits to the local community.
''I believe that Kirkcaldy should be considered a top priority for the fund."
At the first official meeting of the group, held earlier this month, Mrs Livingstone chaired discussions of over 50 representatives interested in town centre regeneration and questioned the delegate from the Scottish Government responsible for allocating money from the Fund about the criteria used to assess applications. Sunil Varu, Kirkcaldy town centre manager, welcomed the application.
He said: "I am hopeful Kirkcaldy will receive the necessary funds to kick start the regeneration of the town centre because it represents a golden opportunity to deliver key projects during these tough economic times.
''Mrs Livingstone also lent her support to a plan to create a Business Improvement District in the town centre – a scheme in which businesses vote to invest collectively in local improvements.
''It aims to encourage more shoppers to the area, improve business and improve the quality of the town centre.
Town centre councillor Judy Hamilton said she hopes that the MSP's work at the Scottish Parliament will prove a boost for support for the local BID.
She said: "If all the local groups who have a stake in our town centre work together and take pride in our town centre, and our BID is successful, it will provide much needed physical as well as economic regeneration on the High Street."
Councillor Neil Crooks, who is the Kirkcaldy Area Committee representative on the BID advisory board called for more High Street businesses to engage with the planned BID.
He said: "We are at the stage where we have published the findings of the feedback questionnaires and made that available to local High Street businesses and hopefully that will encourage more people to make their voices heard."
