The Vacant Shops in Kirkcaldy High Street

Connie Davidson looks at the why there are so many shops with nothing in them on Kirkcaldy High Street. She catches up with Chicken Shop owner, Dennis Alexander, and looks at the future of the High Street.

[@gavinfromnz9666]

Dennis Alexander died of cancer Nov 2013, 3 & a half years after this interview. He was an entertainer & great ambassador for Scottish entertainment having toured to us in NZ numerously. RIP.

[@janeykirk7810]

wow. our dear friend Dennis Alexander, a true legend! rip to this talented guy! xx

[@Mitjitsu]

It was bad then and over 10 years later it's even worse now. The draconian car parking policies have been the biggest problem. Tesco closed their doors after the local council point blank refused to allow customers free parking outside their store.

[@huggy176]

The reason so many shops are closing is because nobody buys from them. Shopping local will keep your wee toon alive and more pleasurable to walk down than any supermarket anyday.

[@BobbyJenkins]

Waterstone's having a 'to let' sign above it was purely due to the 10 year lease being due to expire. The lease was renewed and Waterstone's remained open without any problem.

[@rockjam4534]

12 years on and still no bright future, very little has changed.

[@Keelz7196]

@deesies I agree i mean what happend to the old cinema just across from the chicken shop? its in good condition but nobody will do anything about it.

[@geoffdundee]

@Keelz7196 THE SCOTSMAN NEWSPAPER >>>>>>> Demolition only option for Kirkcaldy's crumbling cinema building ​A cinema which has sat empty for more than 20 years in Kirkcaldy town centre is now in such a perilous state it will have to be demolished. Allan Crow By Allan Crow Published 2nd May 2024, 08:00 BST Updated 2nd May 2024, 10:59 BST

[@supercacti]

The ELC is derelict??? Oh man, I used to go there as a kid!

[@OodldoodlNoodlesocks]

We need less shops on the street and more things for people to do. As the guy says, most of your shopping can be done by going to one of the outskirt shopping centres like Asda or Sainbury's (especially now with all the other shops up there) If they were to give people something to do other than shop down the highstreet, you might find more people going there and popping into the wee shops for a gander.

[@jamiefairlie4837]

Are you for real the towns a shite hole i dont see anything being done to the town even at the bottom of the high street is dead and a disgrace the council needs to get there finger out and open the shops and lower the rent

[@geoffdundee]

@jamiefairlie4837 ............... Council doesnt own the shops so how can they lower rent?

[@harkyb]

Sad to see the likes of the former Cinema and 'Early Learning Centre' derelict, but compared to the pathetic Glenrothes 'Kingdom Centre' where your as likely to see an independent shop with character as a phalanx of Scottish Torry supporters; extolling the virtues of Maggie' Thatcher's Fife Pit Closing Measures...it's a sad state of affairs(especially the demise of Coda Music and Fopp).

[@leedaga]

She would get it!