Kitty’s fire: MSP calls for historic frontage to be saved ‘no matter the cost’

It comes from David Torrance MSP who spoke of his concerns at the damage done to the Category-B listed building in Sunday’s blaze.

Six fire appliances and two height appliances were dispatched to the scene from stations across Fife, and firefighters spent 15 hours at the scene, working through the night to bring the flames under control.

The scene remains cordoned off as emergency services begin the clear-up operation around the historic building on the corner of Hunter Street. Police closed off a host of roads around the club - there is no access down Wemyssfield or around the Town House. Drones have bene deployed to begin an assessment of the damage to the building which was once the town’s main Post Office.

Mr Torrance said he had been left “very concerned” by the fire and the extent of the damage it caused.

He said: “I have already been contacted by many worried constituents who fear that the front of the building will also be torn down to make way for a new development which in turn would change the whole look of the town centre, which is completely unacceptable. Fife Council has to act now, no matter what the cost, to ensure that the front of this historic building is saved and not lost for generations as it has the power to save it.”

Mr Torrance went on to add that more and more historic buildings across Kirkcaldy and Fife are being lost to fires.

“We are seeing more devastating fires in empty historic buildings in Kirkcaldy and Fife as a whole.” He added.

“The former nightclub Kitty’s and the building it is in has been an integral part of the town centre for many years, so everything must be done to save this important landmark from demolition and preserve this important heritage from being lost forever. Surely something can be done to protect our historic buildings, not just from fire but from other issues such as graffiti and other anti-social behaviour.”