WORK has begun on the replacement of Lochore Meadow’s Country Park's visitor centre along with a new golf and football pavilion.

The work is being carried out by local contractor Hatrick Bruce Limited from Milnathort. The pavilion should be completed this July and the visitor centre in October.

The new visitor centre will consist of a café, two educational rooms with a retractable wall for flexible use, an outdoor decking area and public toilets with disabled access and baby changing facilities.

There will also be an interpretation area that will display information about the history of the park and interactive displays to help people navigate around the park and get the most from their visit.

The pavilion, benefits from £83,000 of Active Places Legacy Funding from sportscotland alongside £15,000 investment from Lochore Meadows Golf Club and £25,000 from Fife Golf Trust. It will be home to two changing rooms, a golf starter facility, a sitting area and toilets with disabled access.

Raymond Johnston, the Council’s Property Services Manager, met with the Lochore Meadows Advisory Board recently and, following previous community feedback, presented proposals to increase the number of windows facing the loch. These were welcomed and approved.

The Board also considered different colour options for the cladding of the two buildings but agreed to stay with the current colour.

Throughout the works, visitors can access public toilets, visitor information and a café in the park’s nearby Outdoor Education Centre.

Chair of the Cowdenbeath Area Committee, Councillor Mark Hood, welcomed the progress. He said: “It’s great to see this investment being delivered for Lochore Meadows. As one of Fife’s major parks with thousands of visitors every year, the replacement centre is now very much needed.

“Along with the new pavilion and a further commitment of £750,000 in the Council’s new Capital Investment Plan for Lochore Meadows, we’re set to see major improvements for our much loved ‘Meedies’.”