The hard work that has gone into bringing new vibrancy to Dunfermline town centre over the past year should be recognised and applauded, according to the vice-chairman of Fife Council’s City of Dunfermline area committee Councillor Helen Law.
It is over a year since Fife Council held a special summit meeting bringing together local businesses, partners and key stakeholders to discuss and plan a “way forward” for the town centre.
Councillor Law said: “I’m delighted to say we’ve made real progress towards our goals of supporting and improving the local economy and placing Dunfermline very firmly on the visitor destination map.”
She said that over the past year a number of projects have been taken forward, many of which are already “making a difference”.
Improved signs, including new digital signs and visitor maps, have been installed to guide visitors to key attractions and independent businesses. And better wi-fi coverage a need that was highlighted by local traders and businesses at the summit will be switched on this month.
These moves should “radically modernise” how traders and the council communicate with town centre users, she said, giving visitors information on a huge range of retail, culture and leisure opportunities and sending out a positive message about Dunfermline’s ambitions to modernise and connect with visitors.
A £10,000 promotional campaign aimed at swelling visitor numbers to the town is also under way. The Dunfermline by Day and Dunfermline by Night images were developed by Visit Dunfermline to tap into a wider audience and attract more visitors to the “wider cultural experience.”
Councillor Law said the images which appear on buses and at rail stations should help increase visitor numbers, strengthen the local economy, help stimulate employment, generate a sense of civic pride and contribute to the regeneration of the town centre.
The local economy has also seen a boost through the introduction of new business start-up grants a partnership venture between the council and Dunfermline Delivers. So far 12 small businesses have received support with a potential £34,000 spend available this year.
The refurbishment and restoration of the city chambers has been another significant investment for the council and the facelift of this iconic building is nearing completion. The £1.2 million project has seen the interior of the building transformed and scaffolding is due to come down to reveal cleaned and restored stone work in the next few months.
New floodlighting designed to enhance historic buildings at night has been installed.
The city chambers, Glen Gates, Andrew Carnegie statue, Dunfermline Abbey and Carnegie Library are all now benefiting from the new uplighters that will showcase their historically significant features and help improve the appearance of the city at night.