A BARRIER will be installed to stop drivers who "continue to abuse the traffic regulations" in the centre of Dunfermline.

Vehicles are banned from High Street between noon and 3pm, Monday to Saturday, but Fife Council said motorists continued to flout the rules.

An update for councillors also said the Christmas lights switch-on proved a success, the much-delayed Maygate Exchange hub is almost ready, there are talks on how best to use the dunfermline.com website and a move to "resurrect" the town centre wi-fi.

Two years ago, the council ruled out an automated barrier at the entrance to the pedestrianisation zone – "due to the high ongoing maintenance and repair costs" – but they're now seeking planning consent.

A report to the City of Dunfermline area committee by Sunil Varu confirmed: "To stop this abuse and create the traffic-free environment which the regulations were introduced for, a barrier will be installed at the top of Douglas Street."

The town centre economy adviser has been in post for almost a year and said he was "delighted" with the Christmas lights switch-on event on November 21.

Mr Varu said: "Everything went smoothly, there were no injuries to people, no children were lost and on the whole it was a really successful event that brought a lot of people into the town."

The idea to hold it on a Sunday – "Saturdays tend to be busy for businesses anyway" – was to try to provide a boost for town centre businesses on what's usually a quieter day.

Anecdotally, trade in shops, cafes and restaurants was brisk but Mr Varu said they would gather data to understand fully how successful it had been.

The Maygate Exchange, the conversion of an empty council building into offices and meeting space for hire, should be open by January 2022 "at the latest".

Planning permission was granted in June 2020 and work began on the £300,000 enterprise and cultural hub in February.

Mr Varu, who will also be based there, told councillors: "The Maygate Exchange is nearing completion and we're hoping to get it opened some time in the New Year.

"That's at least one positive out of all the issues we've had to deal with on that project."

The pandemic and supply chain issues to do with Brexit were blamed for delays while the council said they found it "particularly difficult to find a suitable company" to meet their data protection protocols, in relation to a remote booking and management system for the hub.

But there's stalemate for another project with the estimated cost to bring St Margaret's House back into productive use "at least £3 million".

Plans to turn it into a 'boutique hostel' floundered due to lack of funds and although there was a £432,000 grant from the Scottish Government towards a revised project for community use, this will be swallowed up by repairs.

His report confirmed the money will go on making the building wind- and water-tight and "address deterioration of some areas of the building following its closure and the subsequent extensive flood damage".

Mr Varu said the town centre wifi should go live this month and there are discussions with Dunfermline and West Fife Local Tourist Association, OnFife, Abbot House and the council about the "future use" of the dunfermline.com website, which was gifted to the town.

The idea is to make it a "destination” website for visitors to Dunfermline and West Fife.