THE CHAIR of Kingseat Community Council admits he was “surprised” at the apparent abrupt closure of the Halfway House Hotel.

The popular restaurant, pub and hotel was a meeting place for community groups such as the Cowdenbeath Rotary Club, and was also used for functions and weddings. However, out of the blue, the venue appears to have closed – lights have been turned off and there has been no answer on the phone.

When the Press asked community council chair Forbes Stuart for his reaction, he hadn’t even heard the news.

“It’s a surprise to me, as I didn’t even know it had closed,” he said.

“But if it’s true, it’s a great loss to the village.

“I knew the pub hadn’t been open in the evenings but it still seemed to be busy at the weekends. It’s disappointing, as there aren’t that many facilities in the village. We’ve already got a struggling bowling club and there are concerns around the village that this could be a body blow.

“There’s not a lot anyone can do about it, it must be difficult to make money in hotels nowadays.” However, Mr Stuart has hopes that the hotel will be given new life by whoever takes over the lease.

“I hope that someone will take it on and make it work in the village,” he said. “The worry would be that something else happened to the building. I wouldn’t want to see it knocked down and turned into houses. It would be nice if someone came along with a bright idea.”