IMPROVEMENTS to Fife Council houses in Inverkeithing and Rosyth have been held up because workers are too busy filling potholes.

The priority has been to fix the roads but it means that some projects, including one at a sheltered housing complex for elderly folks, have been delayed.

Councillors at the South and West Fife area committee were told a private contractor had to be brought in, as local authority staff were too busy, while the demolition of 24 properties in Oakley has also lagged due to asbestos and nesting birds.

A report said that improvements to the paths and outdoor lighting, for sheltered housing residents at Walter Hay Court in Rosyth, did not get underway as scheduled in October.

It added: "As transportation’s priorities are fixing potholes, a private contractor is to be contacted to carry out works to pathways."

Solar lights are being sourced for the front doors of properties.

And the installation of 10 driveways at council houses on Spittalfield Crescent in Inverkeithing has been "delayed due to transportation not being able to carry out work – priority given to fixing potholes".

The state of the roads has been regularly criticised by Fifers and led to the Labour administration allocating an extra £3.5 million in last month's budget to try and tackle the proliferation of defects and craters.

Also on the to-do list in South and West Fife is the demolition of 24 properties in Sir George Bruce Road in Oakley.

The council gave the go-ahead in December 2021 to knock down three blocks of difficult-to-let flats but they're still standing.

They were due to be torn down in December last year but there's a pause until the results of tests for asbestos in the properties comes back, it's expected next month.

The flats may not be popular with people but there's a chance that birds have made their homes there, and an ecology survey is expected in April or May.

If there are signs of feathered friends, the demolition will be put back and "take place after the nesting season", probably in September.

Councillors were also given an update on lock-ups due to be knocked down.

Staff are currently involved in "relocating existing lock-up tenants at Ramsay Place (in Rosyth)" before those premises can be knocked down.

But there's a change of heart in High Valleyfield where demolition is being "reconsidered due to existing demand".

Plenty of work has been carried out in the committee area with 13 driveways installed at council homes on Leighton Street in High Valleyfield.

Staying in the village, fencing has been installed for safety reasons along the 'kickabout' area at Abbey Street, next to the community centre, to "prevent balls going onto the road".

And replacement fencing has been put up at woodland along the burn in Cairneyhill, along with a children's learning area which will be used by the primary school.

Eight out of 20 'estate walkabouts' have been completed, to check on their appearance and find out first hand what improvements need to be made.

As part of those works, a communal stairway has been painted at Elder Place in Rosyth and balconies have been replaced at Forth View in Kincardine, with Priory Square next.

Proposed works for the coming year include creating 14 parking bays at Forth Gardens garage site in Oakley, consulting with tenants of Spittalfield Crescent in Inverkeithing regarding "their large gardens" and talking to residents of Ramsey Place in Rosyth about their recycling bins.