THE Spring Budget from the UK Government chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered a £5 million boost for Dunfermline.

The city will receive the cash from the Levelling Up fund which aims to help regenerate town and city centres and high streets.

In January 2023 Dunfermline lost out on a bid for finance but today's windfall came out of the blue.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, said: "It is fantastic that Dunfermline will now receive £5m to spend on new cultural or regeneration projects.

"Dunfermline has a proud history as Scotland’s ancient capital and is also its newest city.

"The UK Government will work closely with the city to decide what levelling up projects to fund."

Dunfermline Press: Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Conservative MP Michael Gove. Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Conservative MP Michael Gove. (Image: UK Parliament)

He added: "Dunfermline already has an amazing cultural offering with the Carnegie Library and Galleries, the Alhambra Theatre and the Abbey and Palace in the heart of the city.

"This is an exciting time where we are looking to build on the strong foundations that Dunfermline already has in place."

Dunfermline and West Fife MP, Douglas Chapman, said: "I've been raising the issue of Dunfermline's lack of any Levelling Up funding with Michael Gove for months so it's good to see that we are due to be the recipient of £5m in capital funding cultural investment.

"As MP I now have to engage with Fife Council to see how this can be best spent."

Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP, Roz McCall, said: ‘’This is fantastic news for Scotland’s newest, and fastest growing city, and I am over the moon that the UK Government has acted to secure this huge level of investment in Dunfermline.

‘’After months of speaking with the UK Government about the need for additional funding in the city, and Fife as a whole, this is a very welcome development.

‘’Thank you to the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, for listening and delivering a considerable sum to help Dunfermline’s economy, support local jobs and improve our public services.

‘’Fife Council now need to move quickly to identify positive projects in the area which could benefit from this funding boost and I look forward to playing my part in this."

The Levelling Up fund is a £1.1 billion pot.

There have been several rounds of funding and today's budget announced more than £70m for projects in six Scottish towns and cities.

Arbroath, Kirkwall and Peterhead will each receive £20m while Perth will also get £5m.

A spokesperson added: "This means that every city in Scotland will have benefitted from Levelling Up funding and this money will be directed towards bespoke cultural or regeneration projects which will be agreed with the Department of Levelling Up.

"The V&A in Dundee will receive £2.6m as Levelling Up underspend is directed towards three nationally significant cultural projects in each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland."