BUSINESS CASES for three large capital projects in west Fife, including a £13.5 million heritage centre in Dunfermline, received the support of councillors on the region’s housing and communities committee yesterday.

Plans for the Dunfermline Heritage and Cultural Centre and a £2.9 million Benarty Community Centre were welcomed, as was a commitment to spend millions of pounds on refurbishing the Lochgelly Centre.

Councillors agreed that the new heritage and cultural centre should be built on a council-owned site adjacent to Carnegie Library but could be extended to incorporate the car park area owned by the Dunfermline Heritage Trust.

That option, according to a report to the committee, would provide a comprehensive integrated development including upgrading Abbot House, thus reducing the space requirements for the new-build.

In a report to councillors community services senior manager Ian Whitelaw said the heritage centre project was well worth supporting.

He said, “For the first time Dunfermline will have a prestigious, purpose-built venue in which to showcase museum collections, present a varied programme of artistic, cultural and heritage exhibitions and events, and bring its rich heritage to life.

“The ambition of the project is to inspire, educate and entertain.”

The final decision will be by the policy, finance and asset management committee because the project requires an as-yet-unallocated £553,000, but Councillor Alice McGarry was just one of several committee members to herald the investment.

“The council is to be congratulated in taking this forward—it is a much-needed investment in the city of Dunfermline and hopefully it will bring tourists into the city,” she said.

Councillors also agreed that a new Benarty Community Centre would be more cost-effective than refurbishing the existing building when they considered the issue yesterday.

It would cost £2.9 million—£2.1 million of which has been earmarked by the council over three years—and would give the local authority the chance to co-locate council services and community partners under one roof.

A report on the issue stated a refurbishment would only extend the life span of the building by 10 years or so and would represent a poor financial investment and poor use of council funds.

However a new-build, which is likely to be built on a site adjacent to the primary school, Ballingry Road and Flockhouse Avenue, would last over 40 years and would mean no disruption to existing programmes in the area.

Meanwhile, the council is keeping its options open over the future of Lochgelly Centre, which is over 40 years old and in need of an upgrade.

After being told that the “status quo is not an option” by head of community services Steve Grimmond, councillors agreed to recommend to the policy, finance and asset management committee that a minimum of £2.3 million should be set aside to refurbish the centre but remitted Mr Grimmond to explore further options to ensure its longer-term future.

The business case put to members suggested that new-build options costing £6.7 million for a modern centre and £2.3 million for a reduced centre should be dismissed in favour of the part-refurbishment of the existing centre, which would secure the future of the building for the next 15 years and will retain the existing level of customer provision.

That project is expected to cost £2.3 million in total—almost £1.5 million of which has been allocated in the council’s budgets.

However, there was concern among councillors that the level of investment to prolong the centre for just 15 years was not best value.

Councillors eventually agreed that the money should be allocated to the centre in the council’s capital budget for refurbishment, but insisted that other options should be sought— leaving the council flexible should a new-build eventually be pursued.

Councillors, meanwhile, gave support yesterday to two North East Fife initiatives.

The housing and communities committee backed a revised scheme to upgrade the West Sands Road in St Andrews, and councillors also supported the business case for a synthetic turf pitch in Cupar.

Fife Council is to contribute £450,000 to the £1 million West Sands project, the Links Trust is expected to match that, with the Royal and Ancient meeting the remaining balance.

A £1.6 million scheme had previously been drawn up by all three partners and Scottish Enterprise Fife but the latter had to withdraw its £600,000 contribution, leaving the scheme in doubt, but the council, Links Trust and R&A have agreed to take a revised £1 million project forward.

Grant Ward, the council’s senior manager for sport, parks and countryside, said the project would improve the area, although the lower budget would offer “more limited scope” on protecting the dunes in the area.

“The upgrade of the West Sands Road in St Andrews will deliver a significant improvement to a very important access route for visitors to West Sands Blue Flag Beach and for those using the Jubilee sheds,” he said.

“There will be significant benefit to those using the West Sands and much better access to the Jubilee sheds for the Links Trust grounds maintenance team.

“It will also give better infrastructure support to big events such as The Open.”

Work is expected to take place next year, prior to the Dunhill Championships in October 2009.

Meanwhile, councillors also supported the business case for a £1 million synthetic turf pitch earmarked for Duffus Park in Cupar.

Fife Council has allocated £700,000 in its capital plan for 2009/10 towards the project, with the Lottery Sports Fund expected to meet the remainder.

Councillors backed Duffus Park as the venue ahead of Wetlands via Bell Baxter High, as the use of Wetlands would require a “different management and operational model, given a more remote location for the synthetic turf pitch.”

Councillor Donald Lothian said the new pitch would serve a much wider area than just those who live in Cupar and welcomed the move.

He added, “The Wetlands area is isolated and not the best location and I think Duffus Park is the logical place to slightly shoehorn this in.”

According to the business case, the pitch will be full-size, 106 metres x 66 metres, and will be floodlit, with changing facilities expected to be delivered via Cupar Sports Centre.