Office block demolition set to begin

Work on the demolition of one of Fife Council’s former office buildings will start at the end of this month. Rothesay House in Glenrothes has not been used to its full capacity since December 2021.

Fife cabinet committee councillors previously agreed to demolish the building to save money and open up the site for redevelopment opportunities.

The demolition is expected to take around 34 weeks and once completed the site will be available for development.

It will begin with contractors removing internal fixtures, fittings and timber from the south wing of the building.

This work is expected to take around 11 weeks before demolition of that section can start using a long reach demolition machine.

Removal of internal fixtures from the building’s north wing will begin at the same time and materials removed from the building will be recycled where possible.

The adjacent car parks will be closed for the duration of the works.

There will be a single lane closure of Rothesay Place with traffic management and a contraflow system in place for around four weeks while the building’s north wing is demolished.

Council spokesperson for strategic planning, Altany Craik, said: “We are working to reduce our estate and make it more sustainable.

“Rothesay House is at the end of its useful life and its construction and design means there are no viable alternative uses for the building.

“Our blended ways of working in place since the end of the Covid pandemic means we no longer need so much office space and can make better use of this prime location in Glenrothes town centre.”

Costs to bring down the 40-year-old building are estimated to be £1.4 million.

Fife Council initially made the decision to mothball Rothesay House in December 2020.

By the end of 2021, most staff had relocated to Fife House and its major base at Bankhead on the outskirts of Glenrothes.

A small number of staff associated with the community alarms system remained until July when they too transferred to Bankhead.

Since then, it has been vacant.

SITE: Former council office building Rothesay House in Glenrothes.