Fife Council remains committed to investing in Kirkcaldy

That was the message from Kirkcaldy Area Committee which met remotely yesterday.

Members heard that although the 2020 global Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented economic impact worldwide, work to make Kirkcaldy a resilient and vibrant place continues.

Highlights included: Work is progressing on the new Kingdom Park housing development and will deliver 1,088 homes when fully completed by 2028.

The £1.6m Council-funded Waterfront Regeneration Project, aimed at better connecting the waterfront and the town centre, is due for completion in April, 2021. The esplanade has proved a popular location for active leisure during the pandemic.

A Kirkcaldy Town Centre Strategy is currently being developed and as part of the efforts to regenerate the town centre the Postings Steps have been repaired and upgraded. The improvements also include new lighting and street art.

The project ‘Love Oor Lang Toun’ Community Interest Company established in March 2020 is helping to promote the town centre and support Covid-19 adaptation.

New residential developments planned for the gap site previously occupied by the Co-op and the former linen factory above the Olympia Arcade aim to support the re-purposing and diversification of Kirkcaldy town centre.

Fife Cultural Trust’s proposed £3 million revamp of the Adam Smith Theatre is expected to start in the autumn of 2021 and finish by November 2022.

A 9.9% increase in the value of tourism in the Kirkcaldy area between 2018 and 2019, from £137 million to over £151 million.

An increase in the number of visitor trips by 4,8% and visitor spend increased by 9.9%, with visitor spend per trip increasing from to £45.10 to £47.30.

Kirkcaldy’s new 15-17 store will open in the spring after flood damage delayed its planned September opening. The fledgling chain store brand aims to make use of the empty retail unit vacated by Debenhams to bring a mix of different retailers together under one roof.

A number of new start-up businesses have opened, particularly in Burntisland.

Paper bag manufacturers Smith Anderson reported a 16 per cent increase in turnover for the year ending September 2019.

New owners of the Dean Park Hotel in Kirkcaldy have completed a refurbishment of the ground floor and have started completely refurbishing the 33 bedrooms on the first floor. Plans in place for further expansion of the hotel’s facilities next year.

Fife Central Retail Park (has remained relatively buoyant during the Covid-19 pandemic, underpinned by the presence of the Sainsbury’s supermarket and M&S Food.

Speaking after the meeting, Convener Councillor Neil Crooks, said: “The past year has brought us many challenges and although the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still to emerge, it’s important that we keep focussed and work towards our goals for Kirkcaldy.

“As a council we’re fully committed to investing in our town, but I’d also like to say a big ‘thank you’ to our residents and the local media, particularly, the Fife Free Press weekly newspaper whose engagement has been pivotal in spreading and encouraging the public to express their views.

If it wasn’t for our local communities getting involved in the various consultations and workshops, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We need to keep the momentum going.”

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