The new Sports and Community Centre in Kelty has come a step closer to completion with the grounds works starting for the new 3G playing surface that is part of the overall project.

On a visit to the site Cowdenbeath MSP, Alex Rowley, heard that work is progressing well on the new building and the team remain confident that the new £7.2m centre will be up and running and open for business early in new year.

Mr Rowley told the Times, “The Centre works is progressing at pace and I was delighted by the way the whole project is shaping up. The sheer size of the new building is very impressive with the massive games hall towering over the rest of the building which is now really taking shape.

“At present there are on average 60-70 operatives working on site. The underfloor heating is progressing well and the plaster board is being taped at present and is estimated to be completed by the end of August.

“Painters will be starting to first coat the walls from the 17th August onwards”.

The new building also has a 45 Kilowatt Photovoltaic Array of Solar Panels installed on the roof of the games hall. This installation is predicted to produce in excess of 33,000 Kilowatts annually.

The aim is to use as much of the electricity generated as possible to reduce the energy bills of the community centre as well as feeding unused energy back into the electricity grid. Fife Council will receive a feed in tariff (FIT) for all the electricity generated. The system will produce electricity for a period in excess of 25 years and will payback investment in approximately ten years. The MSP, who when Fife Council leader brought forward the proposals for the new Centre added, “The new classrooms for the school will be ready for use in October and the ground works, including a large car park, will be progressed in September. There have been a few delays with the new 3G pitch but weather permitting the pitch should be ready within the next 10 weeks”.

The MSP concluded, “I was really impressed with the progress being made in what is going to be a fantastic facility and I look forward to seeing the rest of the building being completed”.

Our photograph shows Alex Rowley getting a close up of the new structure.