WEST FIFERS turned out in force at a meeting to discuss the future of Dunfermline’s dilapidated Duracord building.

The public meeting was organised by the newly-formed Friends of Pilmuir Works group who are looking into the possibility of a community buyout of the former linen mill.

As we reported on last week’s front page, the listed building is currently in the hands of administrators but the group of around a dozen Dunfermline residents want the building to be brought back into use for the good of the local community.

Dunfermline North councillor Ian Ferguson is part of the group and was encouraged by the success of the meeting.

After listening to three guest speakers talking about what the possibilities were for such a venture, ideas of what the building could be used for were discussed.

“We had booked a room with a capacity of 60 and ended up with about 80 people coming along,” he said. “We had teenagers, pensioners and councillors from every party. It was really good.

“Someone said use it for an ice rink, another suggestion was a recording studio for young people and another just have it as a big car park so there were all sorts of ideas.

"Everyone joined in and gave their best ideas and people went away feeling animated.

“We have now got about 100 names on a petition to prove that the community is interested and that is just from this meeting. We will have at least one more meeting in January and then more in subsequent months.”

The speakers at the event included a town centre planner from Kilmarnock who has been heavily involved in rejuvenating buildings in the Ayrshire town, a local historian who gave a brief history of the building and architect Malcolm Fraser, who has carried out lots of work bringing buildings in Edinburgh’s old town back to life.

Cllr Ferguson explained: “They said you can do these things if the community really wants to.”

Pleased with the response of the meeting, Cllr Ferguson said they were now waiting for the estate agents assigned to sell the building before any proposals can be progressed.

Uncertainty over the ownership of a bridge near the site has meant a price has not yet been established.

“We are not trying to raise money at the moment,” Cllr Ferguson said.

“We have contacts for people who do funding and grants but we don’t know how much it will be.

“It is like selling or buying a house. When buying you want it as cheap as possible but if you are selling it, you want the price as high as possible.”