“WITHOUT PEOPLE with ambition, vision will simply become a hallucination!”

That’s the message from SNP councillor and Fife depute provost Lizz Mogg on the future of Dunfermline town centre.

“Having the ideas is only half the battle, we need the people to drive the projects forward and achieve outcomes beneficial to us all,” she said. “Everyone wants Dunfermline to be so different and so vibrant and I think there is a lot of affection for Dunfermline, and for the way it was.”

Mrs Mogg said Fife Council administration’s priority was to make Dunfermline an ambitious city.

“We are ambitious and we need the business people to be equally focused. We have inherited a so-called vision and many of the projects have their genesis in the last administration and we are where we are.

“We may not be 100% in favour of them all but they have progressed beyond the point where we can stop them, we can only use our influence to nuance the effects,” she added.

She said it was hoped that if the Tesco proposals for the Thomsons World of Furniture site go ahead as well as plans for a civic square in Kirkgate, it would have a “dumbell” effect, balancing out the new Kingsgate extension and drawing shoppers around the centre.

“If it went ahead it would be hoped shops would develop, smaller businesses perhaps, and then on top of that the redevelopment of the old Co-op site, with perhaps high quality shops, offices above and a square.

“It is quite important we are ambitious and get things happening. We want to see a living city with people coming in to shop, not only in the multiples but also being offered individual, independent shops. We have to make it special.”

What makes Dunfermline special is its heritage, she said, and this should be used to revitalise the town.

“It is our belief that the best, and, by the way, cheapest, way to reinvigorate the city is by developing our cultural offering.

“We have a unique city, full of historic sites and really talented people. We want to use the base our forefathers gave us to make Dunfermline a lively, ambitious, exciting and prosperous place to live and work.”

This would involve a new museum in the former council building next to the Abbot House, at a cost of around £13 million, which might be started as early as 2009, perhaps 2010.

That, plus proposals for a civic square next to the city chambers, Abbot House, Dunfermline Abbey and Palace ruins all in one area would be a hub for heritage and cultural projects.

“The vision is to link our past to the present and the future—our history is our jewel in the crown. Look at Edinburgh and its history—it could be argued we have more since we were the ancient capital of Scotland. We should want to be Edinburgh on a smaller scale,” she said.

Tied in would be the resurrection of The Alhambra in Canmore Street.

“The Alhambra has the potential to work along with Carnegie Hall and make Dunfermline a cultural centre to rival any other small UK city. The economic spin-off could be huge.

“I feel so enthusiastic about that, and the potential to have large shows come to Dunfermline is wonderful.”

Offering more on homeowners’ own doorsteps—in particular newcomers settling in the eastern expansion—would be an additional boon to the town.

“We can say, why go to Edinburgh, you can have it all here,” she said. “Everyone is really enthusiastic about Dunfermline, its regeneration and its heritage.”