ONE of Dunfermline’s most iconic buildings remains empty more than a year after plans for a 240-seat restaurant were given the go-ahead.

The former Kinema Ballroom was once the heartbeat of the town’s entertainment scene after opening its doors in 1938.

The likes of David Bowie, Elton John and hometown heroes Big Country all performed at the venue on Carnegie Drive in its heyday.

However, it has lain empty after Velocity nightclub, its last guise, closed in 2009, two years after former owners, Castle Leisure Group, funded a major refurbishment.

Excitement built in November 2016 when the Press reported that Fife Council granted planning permission for Mrs Yanli Zhao, of Kirkcaldy, to transform the former club into a ‘world buffet-style’ restaurant for up to 240 diners.

The proposal resulted in the end of youth work charity Heart and Sound’s plans to turn the site into an indoor skate park and youth hub.

Councillor Helen Law, chair of the City of Dunfermline area committee, is desperate to see the building “come back to life”.

She told the Press that a building warrant was submitted in September for work to start to create the buffet restaurant.

While no notification of a start date has been given, Cllr Law remains hopeful that the plans will not be shelved.

She said: “It’s very disappointing that no progress has been made. If anything is going to be good for Dunfermline, I want to see it happen.

“When it was announced that it was going to be a buffet, there was a bit of anticipation and excitement. I know that similar places are very popular elsewhere.

“People like me will have fond memories of the Kinema Ballroom and Night Magic, and I just want to see this building come back to life again.

"It’s very sad to see it lying in a state of near dereliction. Hopefully this can still go ahead.

“I want to see all of Dunfermline’s buildings flourish. It’s heartbreaking to see many buildings sadly in despair.”

A statement on behalf of Mrs Zhao in November 2016, said: “The new world buffet-style restaurant will provide a great link to the city centre and encourage members of the public to remain in town using the facilities following their visit.

“This will be the first restaurant of its kind within the Dunfermline area with its competitors being in Edinburgh, Stirling or Glasgow.”

The Press approached the new owners for comment.