Fife Council has been urged to demolish a prominent eyesore building in Leven as it begins a £1 million town centre upgrade.
Local councillor Colin Davidson said the derelict Threeways Inn in North Street should be knocked down to allow the site to be included in the townscape works.
He expressed fears the boarded-up building could become a magnet for vandals and fire-raisers and that it could suffer a similar fate to the Denbeath Miners Welfare Institute, which burned down last week.
“I spoke to officers three weeks ago about youngsters breaking into the Denbeath Club as it was a disaster waiting to happen,” he said.
“The Threeways Inn is in just as bad a state but it doesn’t stand alone. There are houses next to it.”
Mr Davidson said if the abandoned pub fell victim to fire it could prove disastrous for those living next to it.
“I’ve asked for a meeting with council officers with a view to the council being proactive and buying the building.It’s on the market for offers over £60,000.
“Potentially it’s a retail site or it could be used for local housing. We have demand for 3,000 houses. This is right in the middle of a development we’re going to spend £1million on and it needs to be gone.”
The Threeways Inn closed several years ago and has lain empty ever since.
It was bought by national chain JD Wetherspoon, which applied for planning permission to demolish it and open a bar and restaurant in its place.
It was thought it would form a key part of the regenerated High Street but there was a blow when the chain suddenly pulled out.
At the time, a JD Wetherspoon spokesman said: “The company has made a commercial decision that the town is too small for one of its pubs,” he said.
“It was simply the case of looking at the town again and realising it wouldn’t work for Wetherspoon.”
