Fife Council has voiced its concerns about the impact dilapidated buildings or untidy gap sites are having on the local residents and businesses.

The local authority has also acknowledged that there are a number of challenges when trying to resolve the problems due to the legal framework in place.

Having made moves to urge legislative change, Fife Council is now asking its local Area Committees to identify the worst and most noticeable examples of disrepair in their local communities. Where possible, improvements will be done in partnership with the owners of these buildings who are often looking for a solution, but unsure where to turn.

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Councillor Lesley Laird, Executive Member for Business, Enterprise, Economy and Planning explained: "What we are doing here in Fife is asking our Area Committees, in particular Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth, where these issues are most acute, to bring forward the top two or three dilapidated properties in their areas so we can get a more realistic view on the scale of the problem and what level of support and funding might be required.

"Tackling this issue is linked to regeneration of our town centres and villages and local people and businesses are quite rightly fed up with these eyesore properties. However at a time of ongoing budget cuts we have to develop an approach to tackling this issue that is not an unfair burden and risk on Council finances."

(JP/MH)