Bringing more employment opportunities to a Kirkcaldy business park is crucial to the long-term development of the town’s economy.
That was the case presented to councillors this week as the full, brutal impact of the recession on the town was laid out.
Ravaged by unemployment in the wake of the economic downturn, signs of recovery are evident, it is claimed, but the development of new employment opportunities, and the regeneration of the town centre, will be crucial in providing long-term jobs.
George Sneddon, a service manager from Fife Council’s economic development team, told Kirkcaldy area committee members that the John Smith Business Park would play a major role in returning prosperity to the town.
“We hope, over the next 10-15 years, to complete the facility,” he said. “The first two buildings were developed and sold. The roads and services are all in place.
“We also have to direct employment into the town centre and do all that we can to sustain the Kirkcaldy area economy.”
In a presentation to members, Mr Sneddon highlighted how seriously the recession had hit the Kirkcaldy area, with business occupancy rates below the regional average and high unemployment rates compared to the rest of Fife.
Several parts of the town have also been marked as areas of high deprivation.
Encouraging new businesses and entrepreneurial skills have been identified as key for the future and initiatives are already under way at school level in an effort to change attitudes towards self-employment.
Mr Sneddon also added that there were tentative signs that contracts that were previously being lost to foreign companies were returning to the region.
“What we are seeing is that a lot of work that went overseas is coming back and that there are bits of recovery.
“We are also trying to change people’s attitudes towards being self-employed. We are working with schools and talking to young people. It is about making them aware of how the economy works locally.”
While councillors broadly welcomed the presentation, there was anger that national governments had failed to ensure that the private sector had helped in the aftermath of the demise of old industry.
Councillor George Kay said: “It was 38 years ago that I moved to Fife to head up a manufacturing firm that employed 1,000 people. Eight percent of people now work in manufacturing we had 1,000 people on our books alone and now they are all gone. This blue-sky thinking has not developed to take the place of traditional industry.”