Fife Council has started work on a multi-million-pound improvement project at Dunfermline’s notorious Broomhead flats.
The possibility of knocking down the 50-year-old flats, which contain 216 homes, was proposed in 2012. Instead the council’s housing and communities committee opted to retain the three blocks and spend £5.1 million on improvements.
During the next few months work on new windows, wall cladding and improvements to balconies will be carried out. As well as improving the appearance of the wider housing estate, the work will help increase energy efficiency measures.
There will also be a new community flat installed on the ground floor of block 41-181. The flat will give residents a space to address wider community issues, and work on future projects to continue improving the flats and the estate.
An overnight concierge service was introduced to the flats to help monitor the estate and patrolling services. This will also help quickly address any matters on to other partners such as Police Scotland.
In 2013 Fife Council was awarded £56,000 from the health and wellbeing fund to support projects in Broomhead Drive.
One project which is complete is the green gym, which will give residents the opportunity to use the sports equipment, installed in the open space of the Broomhead estate.
Executive spokesperson for housing and building services Judy Hamilton said: “I was really pleased to see the planned physical improvements at Broomhead Drive are starting to make progress.
“This will be a great benefit to local residents and make the estate a more attractive place to live.
“I was delighted to talk to local tenants who were enthusiastic about the improvements being made to their homes.”
Future improvement work planned for the flats includes improvements to launderettes and improvements to the roofs at the three blocks of flats.