Kirkcaldy’s £20million: Fife Council’s masterplan changes set for public scrutiny

Fife Council has announced plans for a community event at the end of May when it will showcase the key proposals - and it is clear that significant changes have taken place after the initial blueprint met with widespread criticism.

The changes have been welcomed by Melanie Ward MP, who secured the UK Growth Mission Fund investment, which is aimed at transforming the town centre and waterfront - and she again called for a new town board or steering group to be set up to feed local opinion into the heart of the plans.

Kirkcaldy secured the maximum allocation from the fund last year, and the council has the lead role in delivering it.

It has engaged two sets of consultants to deliver a masterplan, but the first set of ideas unveiled at two busy drop-in sessions generated more questions than answers.

Most of the criticism centred around a plan for a proposed new building, the Adam Smith Growth Works, on the site of the now demolished multi-storey carparks on the Esplanade. It was billed as a landmark, multi-purpose facility designed to support enterprise, creativity, learning and community connection.

The plans was also to demolish several buildings long past their use-by date, improve connectivity between the High Street and the waterfront, and, in the longer term there was an aspiration for a new Waterfront Park along part of the Esplanade.

But Ms Ward, and many locals told the council that was not what the people wanted - a petition, signed by over 800 people, launched by businessman Amby Stanyer-Hunter also sought to have the process started again. He branded the plans “a pile of nonsense.”

Announcing its forthcoming event, the council spoke in very different terms about plans for the growth hub, and appeared to shift the emphasis from business space to community use. Significantly, it also highlighted the development of greenspace to include a park along the Esplanade, enhancing amenities such as food kiosks, and supporting active travel and climate resilience.

It also hinted at a unique seafront visitor attraction for the town – another new strand to the debate.

Ms Ward welcomed the changes.

She said: “Over 700 people took part in the survey that I conducted on the town centre, and a more attractive waterfront with business outlets was the most popular change people wanted to see.

“A new park along the Esplanade with food kiosks will be warmly welcomed as will the change in the purpose of the new planned building on the waterfront from being a ‘training hub’ to a new community facility with a range of uses, and public input into what these will be.”

The council said work on the masterplan was “moving forward steadily” and the event next month will “showcase and discuss a range of projects and proposals that will start to bring shared ambitions for the town to life.”

Carol Connolly, the local authority’s director of place said: “Over the past six months or so we’ve gathered lots of information from businesses, community organisations and residents. Through engagement activities and surveys run by the council, partner organisations and local politicians, people have told us what they value, what they want to see change, and what would make the biggest difference.” She said clear themes had emerged adding; “People want to see a revitalised High Street linked to a waterfront destination. They want to be able to live well in the town centre with more housing options and increased High Street footfall, and to get things moving with better transport and active travel connections. They want to harness opportunities to co-create spaces and places, and to attract more private and public investment.

“There is already lots of thinking and a variety of projects in the pipeline that will start to respond to these ambitions. For example, a major housing development on the old Postings site, and we’re exploring potential for a unique seafront visitor attraction with a team of award-winning creators.”

Talks on how best to involve the community, public and business organisations are on-going, the council said, to deliver a blueprint “very much in line with what people have said the town needs.”

Three inter-connected strands have emerged so far.

> Developing the town’s greenspace to include a park along the Esplanade, enhancing amenities such as food kiosks, and supporting active travel and climate resilience.

> Remodelling the town centre through demolitions, land assembly and repurposing existing buildings.

> And developing a vibrant community facility to help connect the High Street and waterfront and serve as a catalyst for more commercial development.

On the latter, Ms Connolly added: “ This building will include a destination café/restaurant as well as exhibition, creative and event space, making it an attraction for both visitors and residents. Local people will help shape how the space indoors and outdoors is used, as well as deciding on the final name.”

She added: “Regeneration is complicated and full transformation will take years. It’s not just about one or two projects – it’s more like building a jigsaw. The council doesn’t have all the pieces, but the work we are embarking on now will create the right conditions and opportunities for commercial operators and private ventures to come in and help us fill the gaps.

“We’re keen to continue the conversation with Kirkcaldy’s community about how the wider vision is shaping up in response to their feedback, and to get into some more detail around the components coming together for the next phase of transformation. I’m confident that over the next few months people will begin to see these positive developments taking shape.”

The commitment to an update in May was welcomed by Ms Ward who has had a number of meetings and conversations with council officers to drive home the need to listen to what the people want. She was also due to meet with UK Government Ministers this week to discuss it further.

The Labour MP said: “This new announcement from Fife Council represents a significant and welcome change in how the £20million investment I secured from the UK Government will be spent.

“For many months I have been calling on the council to ensure that voices of residents, community organisations and local businesses are properly listened to. I am pleased that it is now recognising this, and reiterate my proposal for a new Town Board or steering group to feed into the redevelopment plans. We know that this is working well in other towns with similar changes talking place, and I believe it would work here too.”

“Once again it is great that the debate in the Lang Toun is now about how the future should look rather whether anything will change. I will continue to fight at every level for our fantastic town to get the investment and support that it deserves.”