Kirkcaldy town centre: forging masterplan out of vibrant ideas and hard work behind scenes

Whether it is seven or eight figures - and MP Melanie Ward is pushing for the latter - it is a game-changing sum which has to deliver the transformative change our town centre and waterfront need.

The Lang Toun is already at the head of the queue for its share of the £240m Growth Mission Fund unveiled in the Government’s Spending Review announced recently - it is one of three towns guaranteed to get priority access, underlining the sense of urgency behind the work that is key to creating a masterplan which will set frame how the ,millions are invested.

Fife Council will ultimately deliver that document, but it is just one voice at a table. Already seated are two teams of external consultants, the town’s MP and a number of groups and individuals with the doors to open to arguably the most important public consultation this town has ever held.

Louise Playford, property service manager with the local authority, is leading on the transformation project.

“It is very intensive,” she said. “There is a lot of background work to be done, gathering information and pulling together data, and a lot of conversations to be had, and that is all happening now.

“And it is going very well. We are really encouraged by the sheer levels of enthusiasm and positivity - people are really getting behind it.”

That interest has seen many proposals discussed on social media, and a wish list of possible projects which can all feed into the mix.

Collective Architecture and Montagu Evans are on board to help assess those ideas - and the many that will come from workshops and consultations - as they work on the masterplan.

But there is also a much bigger picture at play.

“They are looking specifically at the High Street, town centre and waterfront,” said Lopuise. “We also have a wider programme on consultation about the town as a whole, and to see what other measures we can take to move it forward as funding becomes available.

“We have ambition for Kirkcaldy as a whole. The town centre and waterfront are a very big part of the jigsaw puzzle in a regeneration programme we are developing for the town as a whole.

“Our approach is extremely ambitious. We have done a lot of very big projects, b ut we haven’t done something on this scale across a whole town before.

“It is exciting - absolutely! There is never a dull day. There are things I find out every day that I never knew about Kirkcaldy, and the people have bene fantastic - they have great ideas and huge enthusiasm.”

There is a provisional timescale for moving the project forward with a report to the council’s Cabinet by the end of this year or the start of 2026, and much to be done by then.

Ms Ward has just concluded a survey which drew over 500 responses on the priorities.facing our town centre, and Fife Council will also carry out its own consultations with local groups and individuals - once it has a detailed picture to present.

There is an understanding people want to see actual progress, but spades in the ground won’[t happen until the funding is finalised and the masterplan signed off.

But two major projects are progressing, to underline that change is happening. “This isn’t just words,” said Louise as she pinpointed the development of the site of the demolished Postings Shopping Centre, and the demolition of the two multi-storey car parks on the Esplanade; one transforming a gap site, the other creating a new development opportunity.

“That will give people a signal that everyone is really committed to this - this is the start of a plan.”

For Kirkcaldy councillor, David Ross, who is also leader of Fife Council,it is all about the future.

“Fife Council stands ready to deliver and I know Kirkcaldy is ready to get involved,” he said. “We have a clear goal of regeneration and a strong partnership with our communities and our local MP.

“As we develop and implement the wider plan, local people will be involved at every stage, and we must ensure this is meaningful engagement. The team needs time to prepare public information and materials to support an open conversation about opportunities and options and - in the first instance - this will be targeted engagement with stakeholders around the economic future of the High Street and waterfront.”

For Ken Gourlay, chief executive of Fife Council, is all about making the most of a once in a generation opportunity.

“Investment for Kirkcaldy’s High Street and seafront would be recognition of the town’s potential and the hard work of our communities and partners,” he added. "Fife Council has long been committed to creating a vibrant, inclusive and economically resilient town and this could help us make great progress.

“The teams involved are already gathering a wide range of data about the town, the local population and business sector, existing public services and land use. Specialist consultants will be looking at all of this with council colleagues and partners, before reaching out to community groups.

Those discussions are, of course, already happening - online and face to face.

Last week saw Ms Ward and her constituency team in the heart of the High Street to hand out more surveys and, importantly, get them filled in. Over 500 people have now responded, adding more voices to the discussions still to come.

The Labour MP has also teamed up with her counterparts in the two other towns given priority access to the fund so they can push the case for all three, and share any findings from their patches. Ms Ward is working with Andrew Pakes, MP for Peterborough, and Partrick Hurley, MP for Southport to make sure they all get the most amount of the funding so they can kick-start the regeneration of their respective town centres.

The discussions happening in Kirkcaldy are sure to mirrored hundreds of miles away …