Scotland’s last linen factory is to be demolished to make way for a new Farmfoods store in Kirkcaldy.
The frozen food retailer now has the go ahead to tear down the former Victoria Linen Works site and transform it into a new 1,153 square metre supermarket.
The McKenzie Street factory closed its doors in April 2021 after almost 200 years in operation, with the loss of 20 jobs.
The company had been part of Fife’s industrial heritage based on coal and textiles which peaked in the 19th century.
It was once one of 15 mills in Kirkcaldy alone.
Linen works building in poor structural condition
The demolition was approved by councillors on the west and central planning committee on Wednesday.
A report by the planning service said: “While the former linen works building provides a visual link to Kirkcaldy’s history and is a distinctive feature within our local townscape, it’s not a listed building and it’s not in a conservation area.
“Farmfoods maintains that the current building cannot be retained or reused because it is in poor structural condition.”
Although councillors did impose an additional waste management condition on the development, the supermarket proposal was passed without further discussion or debate.
Kirkcaldy Farmfoods will create jobs without impacting town centre
Farmfoods said the new development could create around 20 jobs.
There is an Aldi supermarket across the road from the site.
However, planning papers maintain that there will be minimal impact on the town centre and other retail areas such as St Clair Street and Templehall.
A statement from the company noted: “A full retail impact assessment has been undertaken and this demonstrates that the proposal will not have a significant adverse impact on the vitality or viability of Kirkcaldy town centre or any other related locations within Kirkcaldy or elsewhere.
“The development would also assist in meeting an identified qualitative retail deficiency providing an improvement on the range of convenience goods shopping for the benefit of local residents.”
Farmfoods closed its last store in Kirkcaldy when the Postings shopping centre shut for good.
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