Power station is back on market – for £1

A FORMER power station has gone up for sale for the bargain price of £1 – to anyone who can develop the building while protecting its historic frontage.

But only serious bidders will be considered for the site, which is a B-listed former electric power plant in Kirkcaldy, Fife, that provided electricity for the town’s tram network between 1902 and 1931.

It has been empty for 80 years and is on the Buildings at Risk register.

Councillors previously approved plans to turn the plant into an 80-bedroomed nursing home in 2014 after being told it would cost millions to repair the listed facade. Plans to demolish the building to make way for the nursing home and a supermarket – which would have seen 200 jobs created – were also put on hold last year, after Historic Scotland voiced opposition.

Since then there have been discussions between the two groups to see if a solution can be reached.

Now the building has been put back on the market.

David Queripal of Montgomery Forgan, agents acting on behalf of the site owners United Investments, confirmed it was for sale.

He said: “It has been put on the market for a nominal sum to gauge the interest and see if there is anyone who is willing to buy the building and restore the facade as part of its development plans.

“The developer is exploring all the options as Historic Scotland is adamant in its position that the facade of the building be retained.”

Councillor George Kay, who has supported the development plans from the outset, said: “We would all have loved to see the power station building retained, but the cost of doing so is too prohibitive for any developer, and weighing up all the factors councillors decided that the best option was to allow demolition to go ahead.

“Nobody in their right mind would take on a project like this as it would cost a fortune.”