Two teenage boys charged in connection with Lundin Links Hotel fire
The historic building is set to be demolished as a result of the blaze
Two teenage boys, both aged 15, have been charged in connection with a fire that destroyed Fife's iconic Lundin Links Hotel last week.
Police say the focus is now very much on returning the area to normal, as residents have been hit with road closures and diversions.
Over 150 people attended a public meeting today which sought to update the local community on progress made following the blaze on August 18th.
Representatives from Fife Council, Police Scotland and Middlebrooks, the liquidation company who are now responsible for the building, attended to give updates on progress towards demolition of the former hotel.
A date has not yet been agreed upon as talks continue between Middlebrooks and the Scottish Government - as secured creditors - towards that goal, but liquidators have confirmed it would take 3-4 days to pull down the building once they are given the go ahead.
At that point, Fife Council will be able to re-evaluate the closure of the A915 which has caused much disruption.
Those in attendance at the public meeting raised a number of concerns about the road closures and diversions put in place, as well as the behaviour of motorists.
Fife Council has promised to review traffic management in response to those community concerns.
Nigel Kerr, head of protective services, said:
“We continue to try and do everything we can to bring about a resolution so that the ongoing disruption can be brought to an end.
“We really welcome everybody’s time for coming along to the meeting and we will look into every issue that has been raised, such as traffic management, traffic speed and a number of others that have been brought to our attention.
“Public safety is our number one priority. Traffic diversions have been in place since the fire for safety reasons until the building can be demolished, and we appreciate the concerns that have been raised in terms of traffic management. As promised, we will review those measures.
“The council is in daily contact with Middlebrooks in a bid to get demolition of the building completed as quickly as possible and we will do everything in our power to work towards that goal.”
Fife Council is also offering support to local businesses affected by the road closures and diversions and is reviewing signage to ensure the best traffic flow without compromising safety.
Commitment has been made to holding another public meeting locally to further explore some of the issues raised during Monday’s event, and details of that meeting will be publicised once finalised.
Councillor Jan Wincott, council spokesperson for environment and climate change, who chaired Monday’s meeting, commented:
“It’s clear that everybody wants this building down as quickly as possible, as safely as possible, and to get the road re-opened.
“We’re working with all parties to do that as soon as we possibly can.”
A full multi-agency debrief will also be held in due course to identify any lessons which can be learned in the aftermath of the fire.