PM's constituency office to close

Peter Swindon • Published 12 Aug 2009 18:47 4 Comments

Fife Council's abandonment of Brunton House is likely to lead to the closure of Gordon Brown's Cowdenbeath constituency office, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said this week.

The MP's skeleton staff are now the former business centre's only tenants.

Council workers were shipped off to Glenrothes in March and the local authority closed Cowdenbeath Opportunity Centre in May, while mental health charity Fife Advocacy folded in April after the SNP-led administration handed a lucrative contract to an English rival.

The building is "no longer suitable" for a constituency office, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister has told the Times.

"It used to be that staff were in reception to welcome constituents and direct them to the office but now people have to use the back door," the spokesperson explained.

The Prime Minister has a constituency office in Kirkcaldy and is said to be "determined" to maintain a presence in Cowdenbeath, but alternative premises offered by the council are also unsuitable.

"Fife Council has shown us a number of options," said the Prime Minister's spokesperson. "We've now looked at premises in Lochgelly and seen office space at Crosshill Business Centre but neither are accessible to elderly and disabled people.

"We are determined to maintain a presence in the top half of the constituency - and Cowdenbeath is the preference - but this is now looking increasingly unlikely."

Fife Council's Robin Presswood declined to comment on Gordon Brown's dilemma but has previously defended his department's handling of Brunton House. "Fife Council is committed to maximising the availability of small business premises in this area but the considerable initial and then ongoing future costs involved in bringing Brunton House up to an acceptable standard do not represent best value for council tax payers," he told the Times last month.

Mr Presswood said the crumbling building could now be demolished. "A council working group will review potential uses for the whole site over the coming months and this will consider whether replacement small business premises could be provided as part of the redevelopment of this site," he added.

Last month Cowdenbeath councillor John Simpson described Fife Council's decision to abandon Brunton House as "a vote of no confidence" in the town.

"It is an outright disgrace that rather than invest the monies that is needed to bring the building up to a modern standard, the council has simply abandoned any responsibility they had," he said.

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• 

  Albert
  Unregistered User
  Aug 14, 19:24
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  Isn't it just the thing. The bouyant atmosphere in Cowdenbeath this week has been has been clearly visible with the opening of Morrisons Supermarket. But what did the incredible SNP LIB DEM administration in Fife House do to the town, agree to board up Brunton House which sits in the High Street. It's disgusting the way the Cowdenbeath area is being attacked by the Council, with closures and cut-backs in nearly every facility.Please the people of Cowdenbeath and District get rid of these gangsters at the next election.
  
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• 

  jmac
  Unregistered User
  Aug 17, 11:00
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  Albert I am convinced that Chisholm & Bain are on a mission to destroy the infrastructure of Cowdenbeaths commercial heart.No matter where you enter the High St you will be met with boarded buildings, perhaps they are intending to let out our high street to film companies wishing to film social deprivation shots as this could be the only logical explanation
  
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• 

  Duke
  Unregistered User
  Nov 23, 10:25
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  I hope that Brown and Co are shut down soon as well.
  
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• 

  Robert Peffers
  Unregistered User
  Apr 22, 20:20
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  Let's be honest. Fife Council, like every council in Scotland, are suffering because of Gordon's failure to regulate the banks and financial institutions. They landed the whole country in trouble and it is Gordon's Labour Party who are daggers drawn against the Government the People of Scotland chose to run Scotland. They continue to vote doiwn anything suggested by the Scottish Government. Let's get rid of the Labour lot that are the source of the problem and vote in the SNP who are at least standing up for Scotland. Noe they are trying to silence the SNP by only having English party leaders on TV. Don't let them silence Scotland. Vote SNP
  
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