Proposals for significant investment in Fife

June 21, 2022 - Scotch Whisky Investments (SWI) has heralded a significant investment in Fife, including proposals for the delivery of a new mixed-used development in Falkland, which will incorporate a new iconic corporate headquarters building, and an expansion of a proposed whisky storage facility in Glenrothes.

SWI seeks to showcase the history of, and educate people about single malt Scotch whisky, as well as promote investment in the commodity. As part of this vision, it is seeking to deliver a mixed-use development in Falkland. This includes proposals for a new iconic corporate headquarters building with restaurants, museum and hotel accommodation, as well as extensive community facilities for the village, at the site of the former St John’s Works. This will deliver significant investment, creating employment and tourism opportunities for Falkland, with Fife being traditionally the ‘birthplace’ of Scotch whisky.

The 3.64-hectare St John’s Work’s site, formerly a linoleum factory and then taken over by Smith Anderson, a manufacturer of paper bags before its closure in 2013 and subsequent demolition, is located to the south of the urban edge of Falkland. This headquarters building aims to act as a centrepiece for learning about and showcasing single malt Scotch whisky, and to provide a place of hospitality for worldwide investors in this commodity. Designed to house the worldwide administrative functions of the company itself, the intent is that this site will have stature and status with global appeal.

Falkland is set to further benefit with the addition of new community facilities, in the form of an additional public car park, with a multi-use village green, micro-forest and play park, in the heart of the site. A small number of cottages will be created on the north edge of the site. Their uses will be as ancillary offices for the headquarters building, as well as visitor accommodation, with some staff accommodation and specialist shops mixed in. It is intended that these shops will complement, not compete with those currently existing in Falkland.

The Falkland development forms part of a multi-million-pound investment in Fife, that also includes a single malt Scotch whisky storage and bottling facility in Glenrothes. This will complement the company’s activity in Falkland. A planning application for four whisky storage warehouses, maintenance and bottling buildings, and offices at Southfield Industrial Estate on Crompton Road in Glenrothes was submitted to Fife Council in March 2022. A further 20 warehouses are now proposed for the 5.4-hectare site.

Proposal of Application Notices (PANs) have been submitted to Fife Council for both the Falkland development and expansion of the Glenrothes facility, heralding the intent to submit a planning application for these following a minimum 12-week consultation period. An online consultation event, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance, will be held for each of these proposals in August, followed by a physical consultation event for each in September, both at local venues. A leaflet will be circulated to the public in due course informing it of the details of these.