Bailey-Lee Robb says High Street firms closing every month

Local councillor Bailey-Lee Robb also feels they don't get as much support as other parts of the Kingdom when it comes to economic development.

At the Cowdenbeath area committee he said: "I think we're doing some good work in the area although I don't think we get as good a deal as communities in Dunfermline and Levenmouth.

READ MORE: MSP says High Street has been 'hit hard' and urges residents to shop local

"Obviously Levenmouth was on a regeneration pathway but when I look at Cowdenbeath High Street there are businesses closing down on a monthly basis.

"It doesn't seem like we're doing much to attract businesses or to keep them here."

SNP councillor for Cowdenbeath, Bailey-Lee Robb. (Image: Fife Council)

Dorothy Smith, enterprise and business development manager, said: "There's more work needed, I completely agree, and I'm certainly hoping in the role I have as part of the Cowdenbeath People and Place team and through the action plan, I'm going to be able to raise awareness of what and how we are able to support individuals and businesses in economic development.

"I'm very much about collaboration and partnership working so I really think that will add value in terms of the businesses.

"I believe in the Cowdenbeath area there are 1,505 businesses at the moment, collectively in Fife there's just under 10,000, so that's a good proportion of businesses within this area and I want to make sure they know what support is available."

READ MORE: Jobs lost as Iceland store closes on Cowdenbeath High Street

She added: "We also work closely with the town centre development unit. There has been a lot of closures within Cowdenbeath and the High Street specifically so we are aware and looking at how we can better support town centre businesses.

"What we did do was develop a flyer that was circulated to community managers across Fife just to reach out to the town centre sector and we also delivered some town centre webinars about creating that shopping experience."

Cllr Robb said: "We're relying on them coming to us but with the best will in the world you can promote it or scream it on the High Street, sometimes it's just not enough.

"But if we adopt a disruption approach and we go in, say this is who we are, we speak to people, that's what I mean by a disruptor approach, it could be we eventually develop a pilot scheme of how we should be doing economic development.

"We could be doing so much more across Fife but certainly within Cowdenbeath."

Committee convener, Cllr Alex Campbell, said: "Obviously there are a lot of businesses out there at this moment in time who are struggling and Dorothy had mentioned there are numerous areas of support for them.

"I'm a local businessman myself and an employer and I'm also a member of the trusted trader scheme.

"I would like to propose you try and notify these businesses what could be available to them because some people don't know what help is out there unless they get told or signposted where to go."