Fife Council to back four projects in Dunfermline for £5m

Fife Council are set to agree to split the funds between St Margaret's House, Fire Station Creative, Tower House and Dunfermline Learning Campus at a meeting on Thursday.

The money from the UK Government, announced by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Spring Budget in March, came as a surprise and the clock is ticking with plans for "cultural investment" in the city to be submitted before the deadline on Friday.

The capital funding must also be spent by March 2026 with councillors on the cabinet committee asked to back the four projects.

A report by Gordon Mole, head of business and employability services, explained: "None of the cultural projects identified so far are 'shovel ready' for delivery, with their business case approved, detailed technical designs completed or statutory consents obtained.

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"It is estimated that this might take 12 -18 months to complete once the project is confirmed as a priority for the Levelling Up funding."

Some of the £5m of Levelling Up money is earmarked for the Fire Station Creative building in Dunfermline. (Image: Newsquest)

The council haven't said how much each project will cost but they want to spend the £5m on: developing new cultural spaces at St Margaret's House and Tower House; restoring the B-listed Fire Station Creative building; and creating a new amphitheatre at Dunfermline Learning Campus for outdoor performances by schools and the college.

Mr Mole said: "The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities intends to give Fife Council the freedom to use the powers and funding available to achieve the best outcomes for Dunfermline, while seeking assurance that the spend will be value for money."

Dunfermline and West Fife MP, Douglas Chapman, must also be consulted on the plans.

A previous application for Levelling Up money was rejected in January 2023. It included £9.4m for city centre streetscape improvements and work at the High Street gap site, £3.95m to restore St Margaret's House and £5.8m to upgrade the Friary in Inverkeithing.

Mr Mole said that, since then, St Margaret's House has been made wind and watertight but the streetscape improvements "do not fit with the scope of this culture funding".

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He added that other projects and activities that don't meet the criteria for Levelling Up money will be included in a 10 year cultural plan for Dunfermline.

The list includes: the renovation of Carnegie Hall and the Music Institute; a Pittencrieff Park development plan, with the renovation of the Glen Pavilion and other improvements in the Glen; a city arts trail; the Tower Burn trail regeneration; street art and open air galleries; refurbishment of parks in the city; culinary experiences that "reflect the city's diverse cultural influences"; development of a brand for Dunfermline as a cultural city; and employing smart technology, such as interactive maps, mobile apps and the use of "virtual and augmented reality", to enhance the visitor experience.

Mr Mole said that a 10-year plan was needed to secure the maximum benefits from the Levelling Up funding.

He went on: "The cultural needs for the city can be summarised as the need for a lasting change in the city’s standing, to develop a strong brand as a cultural city, to improve the quality and accessibility of the built environment and footfall in the city centre, to strengthen connections to all of the neighbourhoods in the city, to develop the tourism offer to respond to cultural city trends and requirements, to achieve increased cultural participation and to encourage a stronger cultural economy."