Council agrees one plan to shape future direction of Kirkcaldy town centre

But a paper trail IS key to pulling together all the plans, and the new enthusiasm to make a difference, post lockdown.

From placemaking to parking, from Love Oor Lang Toun to Greener Kirkcaldy, from the waterfront transformation to the empty parking spaces above the deserted Postings, they are all pieces of the jigsaw which needs to match the picture of the future.

This week, councillors agreed that all of the work taking place needs to be pulled together in one action plan.

It’s a continuation of the journey which began with a summit in the Town House in 2012 when business owners and community groups were handed Post-It notes to spell out in detail how they saw the town centre of the future.

That helped to shape the Time For Action blueprint which underpinned the work of Kirkcaldy’s Ambitions, and dovetailed with Kirkcaldy4All’s lead role in the town centre story.

Lockdown saw a changing of the guard moment as the BID ended, and the Ambitions group stopped, making way for Love Oor Lang Toun, a new community interest company, to pick up the baton with, among others, Greener Kirkcaldy.

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The arrival of the new names and faces underlined this had to be a community-led initiative with key support and guidance from councillors - the days when everyone looked to the Town House for solutions, and resource, are over.

Tuesday’s meeting of Kirkcaldy area committee saw councillors vote overwhelmingly in favour of one plan to ensure the town centre “remains resilient and vibrant and appeals to everyone in the community.”

It remains a work in progress, but there is a new sense of optimism surrounding the town centre.

There are currently four new businesses preparing to move into empty premises - bringing disused buildings back to life once more.

They include a new cafe at Port Brae, and a new community bike hub opposite Kirkcaldy Indoor Market.

The Postings steps have finally been transformed from a crumbling mess into a smart access complete with a new public art project bringing colour to the wynd, the hanging gardens at the old Co-Op site have been cut down ahead of development, and independent traders continue to show faith in the High Street by coming to town.

The ultimate goal is a town centre which has a strong mix of retail, residential and recreation - a very different model from a generation ago when big names dominated the High Street.

The report also looked at two other key issues - parking and placemaking.

One has been a thorny issue for years, the latter a new addition to the town centre lexicon, but one which is key to bringing people and place together.

Councillor Neil Crooks, who convenes the committee, summed it up: “This is a great example of ‘you said, we listened’ and, where we were able to, we also delivered.

“If it wasn’t for the local communities getting involved in the various consultations and workshops, either directly with ourselves or through community organisations and community conversations that have taken place, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

“They’ve been integral to what’s been achieved so far, and we need to keep the momentum going”

That includes committing “28,000 to provide free parking above the old Postings Shopping Centre - now rebranded the Kirkcaldy Centre, but still worrying bereft of tenants - despite lockdown cutting a swathe through revenue.

Usage of the ugly, unloved multi-storey car parks remains low - around 33 per cent - while the walkway linking them to the Mercat Shopping Centre remains closed; a barrier which has angered people with mobility issues.

Across Fife, parking revenue has taken a big hit.

Ken Gourlay, head of assets, transportation and environment, was direct: ““Usage has collapsed such that the budget gap is in the order of £3m and its unlikely to change in the short-medium term.”

Added Mr Crooks: “None of this has been easy and with the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s unlikely to get any easier, but we’re ready and we’re committed to working together to ensure the community ambitions for the town centre sit at the heart of the plans.”

This is where placemaking comes into its own as part of a parking review..

Explained Mr Crooks: “This is just a fancy way of saying ‘we’re going to look at Kirkcaldy town centre as a whole and see what works, or doesn’t, and see how we – the council, local people and businesses - can pool our efforts to make it a place where people want to live, work, play, invest and learn in.

“The days of only thinking about what shops there are in the town centre are gone.

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“The town centre has a strong social role to play as well as an economic one.

“We have to think about including spaces where people can visit and enjoy and as a place for people to live. In short, we must consider the impact of both roles whilst at the same time, balancing this with the money we have available.

The next stage is for a report to be taken to the economy, tourism, strategic planning and transportation sub-committee.

This will provide members with information on the outcome of the Kirkcaldy pilot and allow the committee to consider the implications of the review not just for the Lang Toun, but across Fife.

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