By Claire Warrender

PLANS TO move two popular Glenrothes clubs to make way for a £35 million Sainsbury’s store have been given the go ahead.

Members of Fife Council’s Glenrothes area committee yesterday unanimously approved plans by Kingdom Centre owners CIS to relocate the CISWO and the YMCA in North Street to land near South Street.

The move is part of a wider masterplan to transform the town centre into a thriving hub fit for the 21st century which could create up to 600 jobs.

An application for a 65,000 sq ft foodstore and seven non-food outlets was approved by councillors in December, and this proposal was described as the last piece in the jigsaw.

It means the CISWO and YMCA buildings can be demolished to make way for the new development.

It has proved controversial however, with residents living near the South Street site objecting on a number of grounds including fears the proposal would create noise and disturbance late at night, loss of parking spaces and an increase in traffic generation.

The application includes a two-storey property for the CISWO and a bowling club including a bar, dining facilities and hall, and a single story structure for the YMCA housing a general sports hall, performance venue, offices and education/training rooms.

The council’s development manager Jim Birrell said steps had been taken to ensure residential amenity was protected and told councillors the design of the buildings was modern and low profile.

“You have seen significant retail investment and this is the last piece of the jigsaw,” he said.

“Without this part, none of the rest can happen.

“It’s perhaps a badly needed relocation of the CISWO and the YMCA buildings which are in a rather dilapidated condition in the town centre just now.”

He added, “I’m quite excited about this really because they are two very well designed buildings which, for the first time, will provide up to date facilities for the venues concerned.”

Addressing the concerns about noise, Mr Birrell said the licensed part of the CISWO building would be furthest away from houses which would be separated from it by both gardens and a bowling green. He said that while the development site would mean building on existing car parks, additional spaces would be created.

Welcoming the application, Councillor Kay Morrison said, “Both organisations involved have been waiting a long, long time for this.

“I feel they have displayed an incredible amount of patience although sometimes they must have felt they were at breaking point.

“I’m very pleased we’re now at the point of making a decision that will allow both of them to move on.”

Her colleague Bill Kay added, “The large retail development is something we have been striving to get in Glenrothes and there is no doubt these organisations have been an impediment to it.”