Care home and nursery project aims to unite youngest and oldest on same site

Work to start on care village with new community café

Work to create a care village bringing together the youngest and oldest in society will get under way next month.

The project in Methil will see a care home and a children’s nursery on the same grounds, along with a community café.

The £10.5 million development on the site of the former Kirkland High School is thought to be the first local authority project of its type in Scotland.

It will be led by Fife Council’s building services team, with much of the work going to local companies.

It will also involve the construction of 35 extra-care bungalows where older people can live independently but benefit from the home’s facilities. Planning permission was granted in

December after councillors were told the inter-generational provision was a “very attractive proposition”.

The project has been delayed slightly because of restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic but is now due to begin on October 5 .

The news has been hailed by Fife Council’s health and social care spokesman, Labour councillor David Graham.

“I am absolutely delighted to see work commencing on this groundbreaking project,” he said.

“The project is primarily to replace the excellent Methilhaven Residential Care Home where the service to our local community has been excellent over the years.”

SNP councillor Ken Caldwell, convener of Levenmouth area committee, said: “This is another first for Levenmouth, by combining a care home with an integrated nursery in the same building.”

The 36-bed residential home and 39-place nursery will have separate entrances but will be connected by a community drop-in area with café.

Shape of things to come...an artist’s impression of how the Methil care village will look.