COUNCILLORS have been given a tour of the new £4.5 million 'super depot' that's finally set to open at Halbeath.

The Fife Council facility, next to the A92 at the old Kingdom Services site, will bring four services and more than 300 staff onto one site, saving around £200,000 a year.

It was originally scheduled to open in the summer of 2017 but the project was hit by a number of delays and should now be up and running by the end of June, with a phased move at the end of March.

Convenor of the Assets, Property and Facilities Committee, Cllr Craig Walker, said after the visit: "It is great to see the work which has gone in to creating this new facility. As a council we have to make sure that we are using our valuable resources as efficiently as possible.

"We were previously running a number of depots which had quite frankly outlived their usefulness in terms of size, suitability and condition. Our investment in this up-to-date, fit for purpose facility, will ultimately bring significant savings.

"I am delighted with the progress and was really impressed by the professionalism of our own staff who are designing and building this project."

The council outlined their aim in February 2016 to sell old Dunfermline sites at Bellyeoman, Dickson Street, Elgin Street and Milesmark and bring the waste, fleet and maintenance operations, as well as parks and building services, under one roof at Halbeath.

The new depot has been created by refurbishing the existing Regency House, along with extensive re-modelling of the external areas. This will link with the former petrol station and lorry park to create space for a salt barn, gritter shed, fuel site, wash bays, operational vehicle parking, staff parking and external stores.

Modern equipment will enable MOTs to be carried out and Fife Council's fleet of vehicles in the Dunfermline area to be serviced and maintained there.

There will also be workshops, offices, meeting and training rooms, as well as improved drainage and landscaping on the site.

Head of service, Ken Gourlay, said: "This project is a good example of how working collaboratively across a number of operational activities can help bring about significant benefits in how we deliver services in West Fife. "The project has been challenging but I am delighted that works remain firmly on programme."