NEW business units and offices will be built in West Fife as part of a near £50 million investment to boost the economy and create more than 1,000 jobs in the Kingdom.

Councillors have endorsed a 10-year programme – which includes new areas for employment in Dunfermline, Dalgety Bay and, later, Rosyth – with delivery of the first phase expected later this year.

It’s part of the “game-changing” Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal which will see more than £1 billion invested across the area.

Fife Council co-leader Councillor David Ross said: “The Fife Industrial Innovation Investment Programme is part of the council’s commitment to build modern business premises to facilitate investment by the private sector to ensure that Fife’s economy is fit for the future.”

The £48.4m programme will be made up of £35m funding from the Scottish Government, £9.2m from Fife Council and the remainder from the sale of serviced employment land.

It’s expected to create more than 1,000 new permanent jobs, with almost 600 short-term construction jobs, and aims to attract at least £30m of further investment by the private sector.

The plans include the creation of a new business park at Fife Interchange in Dunfermline, immediately to the west of the M90 and next to the Amazon fulfilment centre.

The aim is to “provide a base for a wide range of business sectors, including renewables, food and drink, logistics/distribution and construction”.

At Hillend and Donibristle industrial estates, in Dalgety Bay, the council says there are “a variety of vacant and dilapidated industrial buildings and sites ... that offer the opportunity for redevelopment and regeneration”.

With 120 businesses supporting 2,000 jobs and seven of the top 100 businesses in the Kingdom on the site, it is “vitally important to the economy of Fife” and activity here will concentrate on site acquisition, site servicing and more than 1,900 square metres of new-build units.

Further phases will include the Gateway Rosyth site, at the waterfront.

Council co-leader, Councillor David Alexander, said: “This initiative will increase the supply of serviced employment land and new industrial, office and business space in Fife.

“This will be achieved through direct investment by the council in its existing land holdings, and new acquisitions, as well as working in partnership with private sector landowners and developers to leverage additional investment and funding into Fife and the city region.”

Councillors at the policy and co-ordination committee approved the programme on Thursday.

The City Deal will see more than £1 billion invested in the Edinburgh and South-East Scotland area, with the UK and Scottish governments each committing £300m last summer to unlock economic growth and boost jobs across the region.