Councillors urge no delay over plans to transform Fife town centre gap site

Kirkcaldy town centre will reap the benefits of two residential developments, say councillors.

Plans to turn the former local authority building at Forth House into flats and town houses have been approved - and are now on the market.

They are up for sale with three-bed flats pitched at for over £197,000 and the three-bed town houses at £270,000.

And councillors say the development earmarked for the old Co-op gap site in the east end of the High Street will be a further positive step.

A planning application to finally transform one of the town centre’s worst eyesores has been lodged.

The site, on the corner of Hill Place, has been empty for around 15 years, and approval would also see the demolition of the adjacent, empty former Reid Furniture shop.

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Dundee based Newport Property Development wants to build 39 flats with commercial units, bringing new residential opportunities into the High Street.

Lodged in May, the application is going through the planning process with concerns expressed by the education service which doesn’t support it on the grounds of the pressure it will put on the catchment area of Kirkcaldy West.

It has proposed either limiting the flats to elderly people, or proposed a delay of six years - the same time bar it presented to the residential development on the waterfront which failed to get approval last month.

The community council has objected because of concerns on the impact of the listed Beveridge building opposite, and the loss of light residents there may suffer.

But councillors leading the town centre’s transformation and route out of lockdown, insist both developments are positive steps.

Alistair Cameron (Kirkcaldy East, Lab), and Neil Crooks (Kirkcaldy North, Lab), say they will bring people back to the heart of the Lang Toun.

Said Cllr Crooks: “The plans for the gap site do everything we have talked about for that end of the High Street for years.”

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He also said the site development for affordable housing meets the needs of the town’s Local Housing Strategy agreed by the area committee, which he convenes.

“Bringing people into the High Street with good residential offerings was agreed by all members of the Kirkcaldy’s Ambitions Partnership, and I can’t wait to see the construction starting,” he added.

“The last minute issues raised by Kirkcaldy West Community Council have stalled progress once again.

“Significant officer time has gone into taking this project to a delivery point and developers, warrants, etc are all in place awaiting signature when planning permission is granted.

“I absolutely recognise the community council’s right to object as a statutory consultee, but there have been no objections raised by local residents in the vicinity of the site.

“It seems to me the building proposal is similar in scale to the old Co-op which had to be demolished due to the fire damage.

“Lets hope the planners and the community council come to agreement sooner rather than later.”

The site currently boarded up and overgrown, has been the subject of several stalled plans over the years.

The Co-op was demolished in 2006 after plans to build 26 flats and add retail space were approved 12 months earlier.

The development never got underway and other plans were halted in 2008 halted during the recession. Permission was extended until 2010, but work never started.

Now, a decade on, and the current proposal is going through the planning process.

Cllr Cameron believes they chime with the current buzz surrounding the town centre as more people shop local, and new business reveal plans to open their doors.

“The gap site is another piece of that jigsaw,” he said. “It is great to see things underway, and we hope that any objections can be dealt with so we can see quick progress.

“For me, the disappointment is it has taken so long - too many years - to get to this stage. It has been an ugly eyesore in the High Street for far too long.

“We want to avoid any more delays. The development takes away a gap site, and sends a very positive message to other developers to consider Kirkcaldy town centre.”

He added: “We know there is a demand for housing, and people want to stay in the town centre - it is convenient and it’s a good place to live. And residential opportunities are so important when we look at transforming our town centre.”

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