Cash-saving new depot should be built and running by 2019

A money-saving new multiservice council depot to serve west Fife could be up and running by April 2019.

Fife Council wants to reduce the number of depots in the Dunfermline area from four to one in a move that will see around 390 staff brought together with 230 operational vehicles.

Similar to the project at Bankhead in Glenrothes, council chiefs believe the proposals will not only save cash but will see better integration between services and provide more suitable accommodation for staff.

With that in mind, a report due to go before councillors next week has revealed work towards the creation of a single depot at Halbeath is progressing well.

Construction is likely to be carried out throughout 2018, with a view to the site being fully operational by spring 2019.

Ken Gourlay, the council’s head of assets, transportation and environment, said: “It is evident that the creation of an integrated facility at Halbeath remains the most costeffective solution to provide the accommodation required for current and future service delivery.

“This offers an opportunity to deliver a new council depot providing a sustainable facility to support the operational activities in west Fife without the need to invest additional monies beyond the efficiencies and receipts released by the project.”

The council’s existing depots are deemed to be sub-standard and have suffered from historic under-investment in maintenance, with repairs to bring them up to scratch likely to cost almost £6 million.