COWDENBEATH is set to play an important role in the Coalfields Regeneration Trust's moves to find a new way to develop income flow with £3.7 million of funding.
The trust's director of operations in Scotland, Pauline Grandison, from Kelty, told Cowdenbeath Rotary Club on Thursday that the organisation delivers charitable work in coalfield areas which were impacted by the pit closure programme of the 1980s and 1990s, and also are in the 30 per cent most deprived communities across Britain.
It has been looking at ways to increase income and has created a small industrial estate in England which has been a massive success.
Now the trust is looking to bring the initiative to Scotland and Cowdenbeath has been chosen to be the target, with eight new industrial units to be built on land next to Glenfield Industrial Estate.
Pauline said: “Our CRT Property subsidiary works to deliver jobs and economic growth in all communities which have an historical link to the coal mining industry.
“We are proud of our coal mining heritage and are determined to enable our communities to once again play a leading role by achieving their full potential.
“We have purchased an area at Glenfield Industrial Estate and our aim is to create opportunities for companies to use the units and at the same time bringing new jobs and opportunities to the area.”
She said that the project was due to start in August and using the model which has been successful in England, it will produce real opportunities.
Scottish Government funding of £3.7m was secured by Fife Council for 50 per cent of the project.
The other 50 per cent is being provided by CRT Property Investments Ltd, which is owned by CRT.
The latter will build and then lease the new units to small businesses with the aim of bringing more jobs and opportunities in the town.
Pauline added: “Being a local person I am really proud that we have been able to create this opportunity on our doorstep, and if it is successful we can then replicate it in other former coal mining areas in Scotland.”
The Kelty native stressed that the trust works in partnerships to achieve the best possible results for coalfield communities, whether that is with strategic partners at a national level, such as the WEA and Macmillan Cancer Support, or the key regional partners to support them to deliver change in their areas or more than 900 community partners in grassroots organisations.
The industrial units in Cowdenbeath received planning permission from Fife Council last month.
The units will be created across three buildings and will be for business or storage/distribution use.
A substation, parking, turning areas and landscaping also form part of the plans.
“We can only deliver change by working together,” said Pauline.
”Enabling the people living in coalfield communities to have the best possible opportunities is why we do what we do.
“We base our work around our five missions of community, health, skills, jobs and climate, allowing us to remove the barriers facing our communities so that they can have the future they deserve.”
She said that a few years ago the trust played a part in the creation of the traffic island at Bridge Street, in Cowdenbeath, which assists traffic flow from the Morrison's store in the town.
“And in Benarty recently we helped organise a British Sign Language course which proved to be highly successful and we will continue to seek to make a difference for the former local mining communities in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area,” she added.
“There has also been a project in Levenmouth, which has been successful in increasing people's work skills, and in this area we are backing local place plans in Benarty, Crossgates and Kelty.”
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