How Kirkcaldy has struggled to get balance right between town centre and retail park

Two very clear alternatives emerged from the Fife Free Press town centre survey – Fife Retail Park, and Edinburgh.

A whopping 82 per cent of people said they regularly headed to the retail park on the outskirts of town, underlining just how its success has come at a cost to the traditional town centre which was where we used to shop.

But our capital city emerged as the second most popular alternative ahead of other Fife towns.

Edinburgh was a more popular choice (44 per cent) than Dunfermline (36 per cent), and Glenrothes (21 per cent).

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Only seven per cent regularly visited Perth.

But none of them came close to matching the retail park as an alternative destination.

It is the jewel in the Kingdom’s crown. With direct access from the A92 and, crucially, free parking, it has built-in advantages over the town centre, and it has become the place of choice for major retailers who have been moving out of cramped town centre quarters for a number of years.

Opened in 1997, the retail park was the culmination of 30-years of delays.

Development of Chapel Farm was first mooted back in 1968, but nothing happened for almost 20 years.

In 1985, councillors threw out plans for a major shopping development – nothing to do with protecting the High Street, they were more worried about safety amid increased traffic.

In 1991, plans for Raith Rovers and East Fife to sell their grounds and share a new stadium were also shelved, and the following year the then Kirkcaldy District Council unveiled a multi million pound scheme to develop Chapel as 250-acre extension to the town.

It had three distinct phases – industrial, residential and retail.

After several more years of delay, work finally started in October 1996 with the aim of keeping more spending in town – money that was seeping out to places such as Dunfermline and Glenrothes.

In March 1997, Sainsbury opened its doors first. The revolution had begun.

Kirkcaldy Civic Society warned the High Street would be badly hit – almost immediately they were proved correct as Halford’s closed its High Street base and relocated to Chapel.

Mothercare quickly followed along with outlets such as Curry’s, while the rest of the units were earmarked for Harveys, Textile World, Pet Mart, and Homebase.

It has since been re-developed and sold on, and its remit based around the sale of bulky and white goods has gone as shopping habits have undergone radical change.

In recent years it has drawn more big names from the High Street with the opening of Costa, a Greggs, and, more significantly, Next and M&S.

The clothes shop once had two High Street units – one for childrenswear and one for ladies and gents.

Councillors rejected its application only to be overturned by the Scottish Government Reporter. Next no longer has a presence on the High street.

The Reporter also overturned a refusal to allow retail park bosses to carve up the old Homebase into smaller units – but local councillors did support the M&S launch of a foodhall at the retail park despite warnings it would hurt the High street store.

That outlet closes its doors in 12 days time, bringing to an end 80 years of town centre trading.

Developing one while protecting the other as shopping habits undergo a revolution has clearly been a near impossible balancing act from day one.