New vision for Kirkcaldy High Street '“ demolish M&S and create a market place

Call to demolish the M&S store on Kirkcaldy High Street.

This is the view of town councillor Gordon Langlands who has set out his vision for the future of Kirkcaldy town centre following last week’s announcement that Marks & Spencer is closing its High Street store.

The Labour member for Burntisland, Kinghorn and western Kirkcaldy also believes there should be a re-think over proposals for a cinema and for the Prom.

He said: “The closure of the Marks & Spencer store in the High Street was inevitable. With the predominance of online shopping, all High Streets are in decline as a shopping destination.

“We need to attract people back to living in the High Street and enjoying the space.

“I am not convinced that a cinema in Kirkcaldy is the answer as Netflix is becoming a more and more popular alternative. Netflix is to Cinema like Amazon is to Retail. The old Co-op site needs to have housing built on it.

“We need to knock the M&S store down and create a market square. Some place people can congregate for coffee, drinks, markets and outside entertainment.”

He said there needs to be a change in mindset about Kirkcaldy High Street.

“Personally like other residents in Kinghorn and Burntisland I will shop for food and petrol at Morrisons and go clothes shopping to Livingston.

“We need to stop thinking of the High Street as a shopping experience and think very carefully about changing the Prom to single lane at the east end.

“This together with any new development at the Morrison end will throttle the Prom and deter people travelling along it to get to and from the Vic, Gallatown, Leven or Wemyss.”

He added: “It will completely change the driving habits of outsiders, who will quickly learn to bypass the Prom and High Street completely.”