Could this English town centre be blueprint for Kirkcaldy’s revival?

The desire and determination are there by the bucket, but talk of transformational change seems tempered with small steps rather than big thinking, and, perhaps more obvious, a lack of funding on the scale needed to really make an impact.

I spent a few days down in Altrincham, near Manchester last week – now there is a town Kirkcaldy needs to look to for a blueprint in how to bring about change.

Altrincham is a traditional market town, of similar size to the Lang Toun and, eight years ago, it was dubbed the “UK’s biggest ghost town.”

Its town centre had the highest rate of shop vacancies in the country, business rates and parking charges were stifling all attempts at a turnaround – sound familiar? – and the opening the vast indoor shopping centre Trafford Centre just eight miles away, was pretty much the final nail in the coffin.

Today? Altrincham is the second best placed to stay in the north west according to the Sunday Times, footfall is up 25 per cent, and the shops are now three-quarters- filled.

The town centre buzzes with activity and vibrancy and is a pleasure to wander round.

The local council kick-started the revival with a £1.5m Town Centre Business Growth programme which allowed businesses to borrow up to £20,000 to set up, and offered training and marketing help.

Some £3m was sunk into improving the public realm, giving the town a modern feel while retaining its traditional architecture.

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The ailing market hall was taken on and turned into a vibrant food and drink hub, as well as destination for locals and visitors to browse stalls filled by local creatives.

What else? Well, the town has two cinemas. A Vue and an arthouse Everyman.

When McDonald’s quit town, Nando’s moved in, and Tim Hortons opened up next door. An old office tower block became a Travelodge.

There’s a giant Tesco next to the railway station, the food sector embraces everything from Italian to Lebanese cuisine, and more and more residential developments are taking root in the heart of the streets – an old pub is being converted into 24 apartments with scope for business units too.

That’s exactly the blueprint Kirkcaldy needs to follow.

I’ve been down to Altrincham a couple of times in recent years, and the transformation has been impressive. The whole town now revolves around its centre – and that is despite being a short tram ride away from the very heart of Manchester.

It is living proof that town centres shouldn’t be abandoned or allowed to decay just because the big chains have crumbled.

Go online and you’ll find nothing but positive, upbeat stories about the town centre – people who care have all worked together to make a real difference.

We need to learn from the Altrincham experience, raise our game several notches, and make the same transformational change. If a market town in the north-west can do it, so can we...