A NEW world buffet-style restaurant looks set to open at the former Ballroom in Dunfermline before the end of the summer.

Agents DM Hall say work is under way inside the venue to turn it into a 240-seat restaurant.

Latterly known as Velocity Nightclub, the venue could be set to open in just a couple of months’ time, the Press understands.

Yanli Zhao, of Kirkcaldy, was given permission by Fife Council in October 2016 to turn the club into a ‘world buffet-style’ restaurant for up to 240 diners. It will be open from noon to 10pm, Monday to Sunday, and create 20 jobs.

The building started as the purpose-built Kinema Ballroom in December 1938 and, due to popular demand, the building was extended in 1964.

Many West Fife couples met at the dancing in the Carnegie Drive venue and it was at the heart of the town’s entertainment scene for decades.

Huge acts like David Bowie, Elton John, Billy Connolly, Big Country, Madness and The Who all played at the Ballroom in its heyday but it fell on hard times and, in its last guise as the Velocity nightclub, it closed seven years ago.

A council report said it had been demonstrated that the building’s use as a nightclub was no longer viable and agreed “it is very unlikely for the site to operate sustainably – if at all – as a public house in the future”.

Spread over two floors and a mezzanine level, the plan is to use the ground and entrance floor as a reception area with toilets and cloakroom facilities.

On the first floor, there will be seats for up to 200 diners, the kitchen, preparation area and bar, while the mezzanine level will be in occasional use for private functions and parties.

A further planning application for external alterations to the building will follow in the coming weeks.