HOPES of a jobs bonanza in West Fife are still alive with two Rosyth sites in the running to be a Heathrow Logistics Hub.

Both Babcock Marine and Forth Ports are in contention after making a final shortlist of four potential Scottish locations.

They will now enter the final stage of the tendering process in Autumn with the successful site to be announced in early 2020.

Douglas Chapman, Dunfermline and West Fife MP, said: "I am delighted that Dunfermline and West Fife now has a 50 per cent chance to host a logistics hub for the Heathrow expansion project. Both Forth Ports and Babcock Marine have spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into proving Rosyth is the best place in Scotland for this hub to be.

"West Fife has also recently become the choice of the Spanish train manufacturer, Talgo, who are hoping to build the new trains for the HS2 project in Kincardine, creating 1,000 jobs. I am proud of the knowledge and talent we have in Dunfermline and West Fife and that is why manufacturers keep coming to the area."

Babcock Marine and Forth Ports will compete against each other and with Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Peter D Stirling Ltd to host the hub. If chosen, the winner will participate in off-site construction of the London airport's third runway.

The overall project is expected to generate around 16,000 new jobs across the UK.

Fife Council co-leader Councillor David Alexander said: "This is great news for Fife. Being part of this pioneering project would not only bring many jobs but upskill our communities with a world-class construction legacy for generations to come."

Fellow co-leader Cllr David Ross added: "Fife is in an unrivalled position having two out of four Scottish sites in contention for this investment. We look forward to working with partners in making a strong case; building on Fife’s key role in recent major infrastructure schemes like the Queensferry Crossing.

“Both Fife sites offer excellent transport links, great infrastructure and competitive land along with a strong and innovative supply chain of local companies. With work scheduled to start in 2021, if implemented this project will bring huge benefits to industry and business here.”

Heathrow’s expansion is the first major infrastructure project in the UK to pioneer the large-scale use of logistics hubs and aims to create jobs in every corner of the UK while creating a legacy of construction excellence in the UK for future generations.

Scotland was guaranteed one hub as part of a commitment outlined in Heathrow's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Scottish Government.

The hubs will work by pre-assembling components off-site before transporting them to Heathrow when needed.