IF IT had gone according to plan, the former Dunlop and Castleblair factories would now host a top-class hotel, shops, bar, restaurant and flats.

The old linen mills on Pilmuir Street once employed thousands of people before falling into disrepair but there were ambitious moves for an 'urban village' or, as an alternative, a new Fife College campus, to breathe new life into this part of Dunfermline.

Unfortunately, development never happened and the company that owns the land has run into financial trouble, as the Press reported exclusively on last week's front page.

Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman said: "I'm keen to see every building in Dunfermline being used to their fullest potential.

"Obviously, I originally believed it could play some part in a future Fife College site and I would still very much like to see it developed.

"I again ask that Fife Council officials to be imaginative and prepare a masterplan for this site.

"If this could include adjacent land, as was planned for the college, it could result in a very positive project to enhance our town centre."

Last week, it was confirmed that Linklever Ltd was in receivership and Linklever Investments Ltd and Linklever (Scotland) Ltd were in administration.

Collectively, the companies own a number of properties in Dunfermline and joint receivers and joint administrators from BDO LLP said that anyone interested in the portfolio should contact them.

Plans tabled in 2007 for the old Dunlop/Duracord factory envisaged shops, a restaurant, creche and a coffee bar, as well as 80 flats on the site.

The hope was it would encourage people to settle in central Dunfermline and complement the ongoing regeneration, with the revamp of the Carnegie Leisure Centre, a new Tesco store and development of Fire Station Creative all taking place nearby.

The building was damaged badly by fire in 2009.

Linklever (Scotland) Ltd tabled expanded plans for the former Pilmuir Works and adjacent St Margaret's Works, formerly the Castleblair factory, in 2011.

The centre of the factories was to disappear to provide car-parking and green open spaces above shops, with 55 flats helping to create an 'urban village'.

St Margaret's Works was earmarked to become a top-class boutique hotel within walking distance of the town's main attractions.

The historical aspect of the site was not forgotten with plans to use the oldest buildings as a museum for Dunfermline's linen industry and the landmark chimney retained.

However, the development, complicated as Pilmuir Works and St Margaret's Works are listed buildings, never got started.

It was also touted as a possible site for a new Fife College campus but college chiefs announced in March that they wanted to build the £90 million campus at the Shepherd Offshore site at Halbeath.

Councillor Helen Law, chair of the City of Dunfermline area committee, said: "The local councillors have asked for the council's chief executive to provide a briefing on the way forward for this part of the town.

"People are very keen to see the north of Dunfermline redeveloped and the new college campus would have been ideal for the whole area, not just for the Dunlop site.

"We need to sit down with the planners at Fife Council and see what else could be considered for that site assembly model and how it could be taken forward, given the further complications of what's happened with Linklever.

"Dunfermline is doing well but we do need to get something positive for that whole area. Everyone would welcome that."

Pilmuir Works, linked to St Margaret's Works by a bridge, was at the centre of the town's linen damask industry in the 19th century.

It was bought by Dunlop in 1947 to weave tyre fabric and the site, later operated by Duracord, closed in November 2005.