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Cowdenbeath’s historic Town House is now well on its way to being transformed into a vibrant community and enterprise hub.
This page brings together the story so far, regular updates from the project partners, and links to newsletters so local residents can stay fully informed as work progresses.
The Cowdenbeath Town House redevelopment is a major investment in the future of the town centre, aiming to bring this C-listed building back into community use. Once complete, the Town House will offer:
BRAG Enterprises will operate the building, working with partners, local groups and residents to ensure it becomes a warm, active hub for community life.
Current exterior of building
Black and white photo of Town House
Current interior room
Current stairwell
Current room with vaulted ceiling and chandeliers
Illustration of potential use with tables and chairs
In early 2025, members of the Cowdenbeath Area Committee awarded £35,000 from the area budget to support the next stage of redevelopment. This funding allowed BRAG Enterprises to develop the detailed plans needed for planning permission and for unlocking further national funding.
Fife Council successfully secured £1 million from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), marking a major leap forward for the project. Working in partnership with BRAG Enterprises, the vision for the Town House grew to include:
In March 2026, a major milestone was reached with the signing of the construction contract, formally starting the redevelopment works. The redevelopment is being delivered by HubCo and Linear Design & Construct, working with Fife Council and BRAG Enterprises.
The project is supported by:
Refurbishment of Cowdenbeath Town House is progressing, with work continuing both inside and outside the building. As the project moves forward, we are providing regular updates on our social media channels, while our contractor, Linear Design & Construct, produces a monthly community newsletter to keep residents informed about progress, upcoming works and key milestones.
We are working closely with Linear Design & Construct and HUB East Central to complete the refurbishment safely and efficiently while minimising disruption to the town centre.
To keep people safe, all construction areas are fenced and monitored. Measures remain in place to protect the War Memorials and manage site operations, including deliveries and traffic arrangements.
You can read the latest community newsletters from Linear Design & Construct below to find out more about the work taking place and what is planned over the coming months:
As plans progress to bring Cowdenbeath Town House back into use, we understand that local people may have questions about the proposed lease and future management of the building. We've answered some of the most common questions below to help explain the arrangements and how they will support community benefit and public access.
The Town House is owned by Fife Council. It is a Common Good Building, which places additional considerations on how Fife Council manage it. More information is available here: Common good property: statutory guidance for local authorities - gov.scot
The building wouldn't attract a tenant who would operate it within the communities interest at full market rent. If full market rent were applied, the likelihood is that the building would remain closed. The subsidised lease has been applied for in compliance with the approved procedures. The discount in rent reflects the Community benefit that will be provided.
Under the proposed lease, Fife Council will still own the building, but management will be passed to the tenant through a lease agreement. The conditions of the lease manage and control how the building can be used and for what purpose. This helps ensure that it is re-opened for the benefit of the local community.
Currently there is no public access to the building as it has been closed for 10 years. There were no plans for Fife Council to re-open and operate this as a community space.
Leasing the building will see it re-opened, allowing a strong level of public access, based on public feedback received. The permitted use in the lease document is the building shall only be used as community centre, exhibition space, business hub, and community cafe.
The lease includes reference to the type of activities to be delivered within the Town House. Any significant change to the type of services being offered would require approval from Fife Council and a variation to the lease, ensuring any changes continue to benefit the community.
The lease sets out the permitted use of the building and the activities it can be used for. These provisions are intended to ensure the building continues to operate in a way that delivers community benefit and aligns with the basis on which the subsidised rent has been approved.
There are currently no plans for Fife Council to provide ongoing financial support towards the operation of the Town House once the lease has commenced.
There is no application for a Community Asset Transfer of Cowdenbeath Town House. Fife Council will retain ownership, with BRAG holding a lease.
As the building is Common Good, the notice to lease is undertaken through Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which is the same legislation governing Community Asset Transfer.
The lease does not transfer ownership of the building. If the tenant is unable to continue operating the Town House, or if the lease comes to an end for any reason, the building would remain in Fife Council ownership and responsibility for its management would return to Fife Council.
Check back regularly for new newsletters and updates as the redevelopment continues.
If you have any questions, contact:
BRAG Enterprises
https://brag.co.uk
Fife Council
Scott.Blyth@fife.gov.uk
lisa.edwards-bs@fife.gov.uk
