Projects aiming to boost Kirkcaldy area economy approved

Four project proposals, identified as being beneficial to Kirkcaldy area’s local economy, have been approved by the Kirkcaldy Area Committee.Earlier this year, a one-off £1m allocation was made to support economic development in Mid-Fife. The funding has been split equally across the four committee areas and Kirkcaldy Area Committee allocated their £245k today with the remaining £5k to support a strategic economic development plan for Mid-Fife.More than half of the funding allocated to Kirkcaldy will be used to transform the former ‘Made in Naples’ large vacant unit in the Adam Smith Merchants’ Quarter. Led by the Kirkcaldy’s Ambitions Partnership, the 2,600 sq. ft unit will be turned into a skills development and enterprise space.It will house a training café / bistro that will support the development of at least 48 trainees each year into Fife’s hospitality, tourism and retail sectors.Flexible trading space for up to 20 small independent businesses will also be provided so that businesses who want to make the leap from ‘home to high street’ can do so.Business Gateway will provide on-site support to help businesses grow and thrive with a view to taking on other vacant units within town, adding new dimensions to the town centre mix.The unit will also house a small artisan food hall with locally produced food from Fife being on offer.Funding has been earmarked for a Mitchelston Masterplan to improve the business profile and attractiveness of Mitchelston Industrial Estate. It will also consider how to re-allocate town centre appropriate uses to vacant town centre properties.A High Street shopfront and building repair scheme will be set up offering support to 15 to 20 businesses. Improvement works will be carried out to tired and inconsistent shop fronts in partnership with Kirkcaldy 4 All.A contribution towards a wider study examining the potential for shore side infrastructure to support tourism growth has also been approved, as part of the wider Burntisland Tourism Infrastructure Project.