Saline: Fife Council aim to be on site in mid-January

Water is dripping into the Main Street facility and while the project is still at the costing stage, an early Fife Council estimate said the bill may be £200,000.

Community council chairman David Chisholm told the Press last month that there was "shock" in the village with the news the centre is set to shut for six months while the roof is replaced.

The latest news from the local authority, with a building warrant having been granted and planning permission now in place, is they "hope to be on site by mid-January".

Essential repairs at Saline Community Centre look set to begin in January. (Image: Newsquest)

A report confirmed: "The proposed works by Fife Council are to assist in dealing with water ingress occurring at the community centre.

"The main development would include the re-roofing of the building, including new tiling to the roof that would include infilling the perspex rooflight to the apex of the pyramid roof.

"New rooflights would be installed within the pitch of the re-tiled roof."

It added: "The roofing detailing at the valley would be amended with the main external walls increasing in height to remove the need for the flat roof valleys.

"Re-rendering works would occur to the external walls and replacement guttering and downpipes installed.

"Materials would be suitable for the existing appearance of the building including similar plain tiles being used on the roof and a light coloured render for the external walls."

The community centre is currently home to the village's food pantry, with involvement from Saline Primary School kids, and it's hoped that a new community pharmacy will open there too.

Mr Chisholm had said: "Repairs to the roof have been spoken about for a while but it was hoped that they could do it in such a way that the rest of the building could still be used.

"But now they're saying the community centre could be closed for up to six months while they replace the roof.

"That came out of the blue."

The closure may be bad news in the short term for the villagers but the work at the centre will also bring long term benefits for wildlife.

The council report noted: "The proposed changes to the roof structure would amend the potential areas for bat roosting so it is also recommended that gaps at the wall head or external bat boxes be provided at the community centre."