THE brand new care facility for the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area will be open for business early in 2018.

The Lumphinnans Care Village was expected to be handed over to the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership in July delays in the connection of utilities have significantly impacted on the programme to both the care home and extra care housing involved in the Care Village concept.

Louise Bell, Service Manager for Older People's Services, reported to Wednesday's meeting of Cowdenbeath Area Committee that the handover of the care facility was now expected on October 27 2017.

She added: "There then will be a 12 week fitting out period and it is anticipated that residents from Jenny Gray House, in Lochgelly and Valley House, in Cowdenbeath will move into their new care home in late January.

"The construction of the extra care housing on the site will consist of eight wheelchair friendly and 22 amenity properties, with a mix of seven double bedroomed and 23 one bedroomed.

"The development includes a communal lounge for use of the tenants and a cafe for the use of all the residents of the care village and wider community.

"The properties in the development are being allocated to applicants from the Fife Housing Register and this work is ongoing at present."

Louise also commented on the sensory garden which was being funded by a project led by Lochgelly man Dick Campbell, who has raised upwards of £60,000 through a series of fundraising schemes and donations.

She added: "The residents of both Jenny Gray House and Valley House were asked by students from Elmwood College what they would like to see in the garden and they will be asked to approve the final design before the students prepare to start planting in the early spring of next year."

Councillor Alistair Bain asked it there had been any job losses through the new Care Village being created replacing two care homes but he was told that there had been no redundancies although few people had chosen to be re-deployed elsewhere in the care system.

Committee chair Councillor Linda Erskine welcomed the new facility and was looking forward to it opening.

Three names were put before the committee for the new home and these were Lindsay House, Sycamore House and Cedar House and the councillors chose the first name for its connection with the mining industry through the Lindsay Colliery, which was sited between Lumphinnans and Kelty.