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Is This The End of the Road

Burntisland Burgh Chambers: Our Heritage at Risk.

Background and Early Efforts
Since the first Community Action Plan in 2016, Burntisland Heritage, in partnership with the Community Council, has worked to keep the Burgh Chambers in community use. A 2019 Business Development Plan proposed redeveloping the ground floor commercially to support community use upstairs, but the multi-million-pound costs made the project unfeasible.

Transition to Burntisland Heritage Trust (SCIO)
In 2021, the Trust took over responsibility for the project, converting to a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) to handle larger projects and funding. However, a bid for Levelling-Up funding later that year was unsuccessful, leaving the project without the necessary financial backing.

Reassessment and Changing Context
Following the pandemic, the Trust recognised the need to reassess the original business plan. Working with Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT), an updated review and stakeholder consultation were commissioned by Fife Council, continuing into 2024.

Council Reorganisation and Setbacks
Between 2021 and 2023, internal changes within Fife Council shifted management priorities, and the building’s future in community ownership became uncertain. The 2024 plan for a new Banking Hub in the lower floor further complicated the Trust’s redevelopment vision. The Banking Hub's £19.8k annual income starts in January 2027 and is insufficient for BHT or any local group to sustain the building.

Phased Approach and Spire Project
The Trust adopted a phased strategy, beginning with reinstating the building’s spire. In early 2025, it secured £15,000 from the Community Recovery Fund to appoint a project manager to advance the spire restoration and seek further funding. Although restoring the Clock Tower is a planning condition with political support, the Spire and Burgh Chambers are not part of the Fife Council Capital Plan. Politicians should ensure the Burgh Chambers redevelopment appears in the next update.

Current Situation

It is now clear that Fife Council has no plans to restore the clock tower or keep the building in public ownership. As an organisation, we lack both the resources and expertise to pursue this matter further. After ten years of effort, we have reluctantly decided to withdraw from advocating for public ownership. We hope that whoever buys the building will care for it and help bring prosperity and energy to our High Street.

Protecting Local Heritage

The building is currently being marketed by Graham and Sibbald. Without heating or water, stored artworks and artefacts are at risk; some, like ship models donated in 1950, have already been moved to Glenrothes, a move opposed by the Trust. The Trust argues that the Burgh Chambers’s artefacts are integral to Burntisland’s identity and should stay in town preserving the community heritage.

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