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Casting vote seals car park site for new Kirkcaldy

An artist's impression of how the new pool will look

By Donna Simpson
News Desk

THE new Kirkcaldy swimming pool WILL be built on the car park in Tolbooth Street.
The final go-ahead was given by councillors this week after a heated debate in the Town House.

The debate over the bid for planning permission for the controversial site resulted in a 50-50 split along political party lines, leaving the casting vote in the hands of Kirkcaldy area committee chairman, Alice Soper.

Rubber-stamping the location – which drew many objections from the public and was hugely unpopular with the public – she said the move was the right one.

She said: "This is great news for Kirkcaldy. It's now all systems go for the construction and opening in autumn 2011."

In spite of the £15m building being passed, opposition councillors said not enough attention was paid to almost 40 objections received from the public, members of swimming clubs and surrounding businesses.

Councillor David Ross, who moved a refusal of the planning application, said: "This is a short-sighted decision which will compromise the viability of the facility and the town centre.

"The Council has turned somersaults to get something that is not going to be thrown out and laughed at.

''Parking is insufficient to support this development and people have a whole load of objections that we have not listened to and are not taking into account.''

Cllr Ross added the verdict did not join up with a decision made last week which could see future development of the Mercat Shopping Centre result in the demolition of the multi-storey carpark earmarked for use by swimmers.

He claimed any future developer would have to incorporate pool parking into its plans - and he feared that may put them off.

His claims were dismissed by Councillor Susan Leslie who added: "I can fully understand an indulgence to our sloth and laziness is desirable.

"I think it's unreasonable that we always expect to have that.

"If we are all in agreement that we are a council who encourages people not to use cars and to start using public transport then this goes a long way to meeting these aspirations."

Numerous businesses in the High Street and on Tolbooth Street had objected to the application, including Cooperative Funeral Care and WH Smith.