Upgrade work at Pittenweem fishing market is given go ahead

Fife Council has approved its own planning application for permission to replace them after efforts to retain the current doors failed. The insulated doors are now "beyond repair.” The application from its roads and transportation department was approved this week, subject to the standard condition the work must be done within three years.

"After attempting to retain the existing garage doors following advice from the maintenance contractor, said contractor further advised that the doors were now beyond repair," a planning statement explained. “The existing garage doors on the fish market part of the building are coming to the end of their life and need to be replaced."

The mechanical and electrical mechanisms inside also require replacement.

The current fish market was built in 1992 to replace the one which sat separately from the Granary – which dates from the 18th or early 19th century - toilets and Old Men’s Club buildings. The two-storey market is on the ground floor with six bays with garage doors on either side of the long elevations.

The fish market is on the ground floor with six bays with garage doors on either side of the long elevations. An additional garage door, complete with wicket door for pedestrian access, is adjacent to the external stair access to the first floor. This has the main electrical switch boards for both the fish market building and neighbouring granary, together with a storage area and a miscellaneous room which has been used as a gallery in the past.

“The market’s insulated garage doors provide an essential part of the fish market’s building fabric in helping keep the internal temperature cool, thus ensuring the fishermen’s hauls don't go to waste,” a planning statement explained.

Not only are the doors in no state to be repaired, the council said they did not match any of the other garage doors in the area.

“We are proposing to replace the doors with Hormann industrial insulated sectional up and over doors. These will have a slat look to each panel in each section of the door. There will be wicket doors installed on some doors to reduce the need to open the full garage door and keep the chilled air inside.”

Two new gates will also be formed around the external chillers for security and safety reasons.