Kirkcaldy High Street is set to gain from a multimillion funding boost which it’s hoped will help regenerate the town centre.
The Fife town is to get cash from a £240 million pot unveiled by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves during her spending review last week.
The money is being set aside to help speed up local projects which the UK Government says have been “forgotten about”.
We reported last week that the Mercat shopping centre is to be at the heart of efforts to spruce up Kirkcaldy’s town centre.
Fife Council has drafted in consultants from Dundee University to probe how the indoor space could be best used.
It’s also expected some of the money from Westminster will go to Kirkcaldy’s seafront as well.
Sources indicate as much as £20 million could flow to the Fife town.
Melanie Ward, the Labour MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, said the funding was a “landmark opportunity” for the town.
“Support to drive renewal of our town centre is badly needed,” she said.
“Soon we will have the chance to begin changing it from being a relic of the past to the modern, welcoming and prosperous community asset that it should be.
“We are blessed with so much beautiful coastline but the potential of our town – including its economic potential – is marred by the current situation, which does not do justice to the ingenuity, drive and creativity of our people.
“Since being elected by my constituents in July, I have made economic renewal in the town centre one of my priorities.”
Ideas mooted for the town centre include introducing more leisure activities, night markets and a cinema.
The council plans to demolish two eyesore car parks on Kirkcaldy Esplanade.
A study is also exploring the possibility of a ferry service to Leith, in Edinburgh.
SNP finance chief Shona Robison said: “While the funding announced for Kirkcaldy is welcome, the UK spending review document sets out in black and white that our funding for day-to-day spending is set to grow by only 0.8% over the next three years, compared with 1.2% average growth for UK Government departments.
“This will short-change us by £1.1 billion pounds.
“What’s more, we face an estimated £400 million shortfall from the UK Government’s failure to fully fund their employer National Insurance increase and expect reductions in our funding of a further £400 million by 2029-30 from their proposed welfare reforms.
“We made extensive representations to the UK Government on our priorities for the spending review, including calls for an end to spending that bypasses devolution.”
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