Green light for Lochgelly St Andrews Church community hub

Officers have approved a change of use for the former St Andrews Church on Bank Street, paving the way for the building to become a “multi-agency community hub” after lying vacant for two decades.

The building, which has not been in use since 2006, was bought by the council for £80,000 to stop it becoming derelict.

For years it was at the centre of ambitious proposals for a £2.2 million regional climbing centre, put forward by operators Rockgelly, and a 12-metre tower was built.

But despite the project dragging on for a decade, the climbing venue never opened.

In February 2024, councillors on the Cowdenbeath area committee were told the project was 'no longer tenable' amid financial uncertainty and Rockgelly subsequently went into liquidation.

It was the end of the line for the Rockgelly project in February 2024. (Image: Fife Council)

Attention has now turned to giving the prominent town centre site a new purpose.

Under the approved plans, the building will host a range of services including family and one-to-one support, crisis help, group work and drop-in sessions.

Social work teams and community organisations will be based in the hub, offering tailored support to local families and individuals.

Multi-purpose rooms will be used for parenting classes, skills development, support groups and youth engagement programmes, while the out-of-hours social work team for Fife will also have an office there.

The aim is for the hub to open daily from 9am to 8pm, with CCTV and controlled entry in place.

The move also helps address problems with Lochgelly Town Hall, which would cost in excess of £500,000 to repair.

Councillors were previously told that relocating key services to St Andrews Church would be a more sustainable option.

The approval means the building will now be brought back into regular use as a base for council-led and partner services, rather than as the regional climbing centre originally envisaged.