Edinburgh city deal will help regenerate Fife’s industrial spaces

As part of a 10 year programme, more than £35m will be given to Fife Council for the Industrial Innovation Investment Programme.

Some £9m will be committed from the local authority’s budget over the next 10 years.

The programme will increase the supply of serviced and employment land to create new industrial, office and business spaces in Fife.

A number of areas have already been earmarked for phase one of the scheme, including Queensway Industrial Estate, Glenrothes and Dunnikier Business Park, Kirkcaldy.

Keith Winter, executive director of enterprise and environment, said: “It is a substantial step to make this real for communities in Fife. It is a 10 to 15 year programme in which we plan to priorities sites we already own or have agreements in place to be able to move swiftly.

“The two pillars of this deal are inclusive growth and innovation. Some planning applications have already been submitted for work – we’re not just sitting and waiting around for the agreement first.”

Mr Winter added: “We are also already working on business relationships, with Edinburgh University for example, to secure employment in these new spaces once completed.”

Fife Council Co-Leader, Councillor David Ross, said: “The Fife Industrial Innovation Investment Programme is part of the council’s commitment to build modern business premises to facilitate investment by the private sector to ensure that Fife’s economy is fit for the future.

“By working with Fife businesses to harness opportunities from the adoption of data driven innovation it will deliver a sustained investment programme to support the delivery of inclusive growth and innovation.”

Fife Council Co-Leader, Councillor David Alexander, said: “This initiative will increase the supply of serviced employment land and new industrial, office and business space in Fife.

“This will be achieved through direct investment by the council in its existing land holdings, and new acquisitions, as well as working in partnership with private sector land owners and developers to leverage additional investment and funding into Fife and the City Region.”

Councillor Altany Craik said: “Fife’s economy has needed this for quite some time. This is a good news story and it will be invested in the right places. The market will not provide in areas that we need it and that’s why it needs government intervention.”

A review will be carried out every 18 months during the work period to report back on progress, leaving room for flexibility in the final plans.

The final terms of the agreement will be confirmed at a joint committee in March 2019.