DELIVERING DUNFERMLINE is in a "precarious position" as the search for new funding continues.

Fife Council gave the former BID (Business Improvement District) company £100,000 to keep it going after it lost a ballot last year.

But that cash is likely to run out at the end of March and attempts to find a fresh source of finance have so far proved fruitless.

Gillian Taylor, the council's community manager for Dunfermline, said: "As a council, we're still working very closely with Delivering Dunfermline and looking at different options.

"It is the funding that's the big issue obviously as they don't have the business levy any more, so we're going to see if there's a pilot scheme where we can do things differently.

"The funding we provided was transitional and we're getting nearer to the end of the financial year.

"It's a precarious position. Rather than from the council, we're keen that funding comes from other sources, whether that's from the businesses through another model – as they used to do with the levy – or a pilot scheme or incentives we can do.

"The council's budgets haven't been confirmed and will be delayed due to the General Election but we're looking at more cuts year on year so Fife Council is in a very tight financial position, there's no doubt about that."

Under the previous system, around 400 town centre traders paid a levy which helped fund town centre improvements.

After losing its renewal vote last summer, Dunfermline Delivers was wound up in September and it re-emerged as a Community Interest Company (CIC) called Delivering Dunfermline.

The council agreed funding of £100,000 to allow key initiatives, including everything from the food and drink festival and Christmas lights switch-on to taxi marshals and floral displays, to continue and provide time for a new "fit-for-purpose model" to be established.

A report had warned that if financial support was not forthcoming, the council faced "significant risks” and the town would suffer.

Ms Taylor continued: "A town centre organisation is necessary to keep the town vibrant and busy. The BID company does events in the town as well and I'm certainly very keen we look at every avenue to keep it going.

"However it is becoming more difficult as we get to the end of the transitional funding.

"My view is that Delivering Dunfermline do a very good job and I don't think anyone disputes that.

"It's how they're funded that's the big issue."

Neil Mackie, of Delivering Dunfermline, said: "It's still rumbling on. The reality is it's all about funding.

"Without money we don't have the organisation that can trade so we're exploring every option in that regard.

"Fife Council have been immensely supportive and we've had various discussions.

"It's unrealistic to expect them to pick up the tab for everything we do but we're investigating what can be done.

"It's still all systems go and we're not going anywhere. I'm optimistic we'll get it all sorted."

Delivering Dunfermline had hoped that discussions with the Scottish Government would pay off and new options for funding the town centre organisation would emerge.

Ms Taylor said: "There were a lot of meetings early on that the council helped to facilitate.

"But I don't think the government are looking to change, BIDs is the model they prefer albeit we don't think it's suitable for Dunfermline given the way things went at the ballot.

"My understanding is that it's a model that does work in towns that have a lot of small, independent traders but in towns like Dunfermline, where you have a mix of local traders and big multi-national companies, it's more difficult to get through the ballot.

"Here, we had two-thirds of traders in favour of continuing but it was decided on rateable value and we're arguing that way is not fit for purpose.

"That may change if more towns don't get through their ballot. It's not my area but I believe that Kirkcaldy is not going to go for a re-ballot so it looks like there won't be a BID company there going forward."