Delays caused by a storm over the proposed new Meedies visitor centre could see costs soar by over £300,000, it is claimed.
Councillors have been advised to press on with the controversial £1 million building in Lochore Meadows Country Park amid fears sportscotland could withdraw an £83,000 grant.
There was also a warning that the price of a new golf clubhouse and changing pavilion to be built simultaneously could go up by £100,000 if it was delivered under a separate contract.
Meanwhile, delays could also lead to income being lost by the Fife Golf Trust.
Bringing back into use the existing visitor centre, which closed last autumn for demolition, would cost £150,000, it was stated.
Fife Council’s executive committee will decide next week whether to award the contract which includes both buildings in the park, despite opposition in the community.
Officers said that work on the golf clubhouse must be at an advanced stage by the end of February to comply with terms of sportscotland’s grant.
The contract was about to be awarded when Benarty Community Forum called for a halt due to public concerns about the design, size and lack of external funding for the £1m visitor centre.
A report to the committee by communities executive director Michael Enston advises that the contract for both buildings should be awarded.
He said: “The £83k grant from sportscotland for the golf clubhouse/changing pavilion is now at risk as it is conditional on the building work having been substantially completed by February 28, 2017.
“Discussions are currently taking place with sportscotland to see if there is any flexibility in this regard.
“There are risks in terms of costs, timelines and business continuity should the single contract for the two buildings not be awarded as currently proposed.
“The work on the new golf clubhouse/changing pavilion would either have to be re-tendered as a standalone contract or a renegotiation undertaken with the successful tenderer for the delivery of just this part of the current contract.
“Either way, the cost of delivering the golf clubhouse/changing pavilion could increase by an estimated £100k as the economies of scale available from delivering two new buildings via a single contract would be lost.”
If councillors decide on Tuesday to award the contract, Mr Enston said it would ensure a significant £1.769m investment in two key facilities in the park.
Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, which led the visitor centre project, confirmed earlier this month it is to give up management of the popular park, which attracts 500,000 visitors a year, as it was “not best placed” for the job.
Lorna Bett, of Lochore Meadows Panel and Benarty Community Forum, said people in local communities felt betrayed by the council’s position on the Meedies’ development and future management.
She said: “As soon as the local community realised what Fife Council was proposing for the new visitor centre, they condemned it as a glorified portacabin, almost half the size of the existing facility, twice as expensive as it should be and inadequate for the needs of the Meedies’ half million plus annual visitors.
“It’s been rushed through with no community consultation and no input from external funders.”
She claimed the report was an attempt to provide cover for “deeply flawed” project management and mistakes could only be put right by starting again.
A £130,000 upgrade and extension of the park’s mountain bike trails, also partly funded by sportscotland, is due to be complete by the end of March.
Call for urgency
A Fife-based MSP has demanded new urgency in building a new visitor centre at Lochore Meadows Country Park.
Following a meeting with Fife Council’s chief executive Steve Grimmond to discuss the issue, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alex Rowley said he was clear there should be no more delays and the council “should get on with the task of building a new centre”.
Mr Rowley, a long-term campaigner for the country park, said: “Like many people I believe the way the matter has been dealt with particularly the lack of a full consultation with all of the communities in the area has been flawed, and I made this very clear to the chief executive.
“However, we are where we are and there is a real danger that if they do not get on with the new building we will be left with no adequate facilities.
“The option of going into the summer with no replacement facilities poses some real risks.”
Apart from the obvious problems with temporary portable cabins for toilets and cafeteria and the reputational damage to the park, he said there was a funding crisis looming too, with no guarantee of any extra money, leading to loss of sports facilities which were part of the proposal.
Dragging out the saga could also incur more professional fees and annual rising costs.
“I am aware that grant applications were made to other organisations including the Scottish Government and they were not successful, so it seems to me it is no more than wishful thinking that we can secure millions more for this project,” he said.
The MSP was satisfied the proposal would deliver a high specification to meet the needs of visitors.
He was also satisfied there had been a “robust process” in line with Holyrood cost guidelines when it came to the procurement and design.
He said he had been given assurances from Mr Grimmond that he and senior officials would meet with local groups in all communities around the park and more widely across Fife to answer any concerns.
“It is good that there is now a wider interest being taken in the park and we should harness this to develop the potential for a wider tourist offer but I am very clear we must get the new build visitor centre built and open before the start of the new 2017 season,” he said.
Grant Ward, the council’s head of area services, previously said: “We know how much this facility means to the community and want to ensure we have a robust plan for its future.
“So the council is investigating options for the future management of Lochore Meadows and a report will go to committee for decision on the best way forward.”
