COWDENBEATH Area Committee is today (Wednesday) to be asked to back a motion which is geared to ensuring the future one the area's iconic buildings.

Councillor Gary Guichan, with the support of Councillor Alex Campbell, has tabled a motion which states: "This committee thinks that it is vital that it does not remain empty for an extended period."

Councillor Guichan said this week: "It was with a degree of surprise last week that I read the letter in the Times from Cllr Darren Watt regarding the Town House. The local councillors have regular ward meetings which the councillors attend along with members of the local management team.

"The most recent of these was on Monday October 16 when Cllr Alex Campbell and myself informed the meeting that we planned to put forward motions to the next Cowdenbeath Area Committee regarding both the Town House and the Crown Hotel site. That committee meets today Wednesday November 1.

"Cllr Watt was in attendance at that meeting so was aware that these motions were in the pipeline, I can only assume that he decided to jump the gun with his letter to try and gain some benefit for the actions of the town's Labour councillors.

"The motion I am proposing regarding the Town House is, 'Cowdenbeath Area Committee calls on council officers to carry out a feasibility study into the future use of Cowdenbeath Town House. The Town House is an iconic and much loved building in the town. It saddens many people to see it closed and unused. This committee thinks that it is vital that it does not remain empty for an extended period. With the re-development of the south end of the High Street, hopefully due to start in the new year, we also feel that making progress with the north end is equally important. It is hoped that the North End Park Development will proceed sooner rather than later and pressure is being applied to have something done about the Crown Hotel site. If these developments come to fruition it would be fantastic to see the Town House open and used for some useful purpose. The committee feel that if it were to be sold it would be a backward step for the town so we are instructing the relevant officers to undertake a feasibility study to explore possible uses for the building and report back to this committee.”

Councillors will discuss the motion at their meeting in the Corrie Centre today.

Councillor Watt said in his letter to the Times that he had visited the Town House and was struck by its vastness and its superb historic assets. He added: "We are blessed to have such a wonderful historic building and it deserves to be brought back to life."