The site comprises a new 36-bed residential care home as a replacement for Methilhaven Home in Buckhaven, a new 39-place nursery for 2- 4-year-olds, and 35 extra care and specific needs bungalows for older people.

The main care home and nursery building will house a café and drop-in area for visitors to the building and the surrounding community and within the site grounds there will be a ‘village green’ feature for everyone to enjoy.

The site also has an exciting opportunity to promote intergenerational connections where children and older people to come together.

Fiona Mckay, head of strategic planning, performance and commissioning, Fife HSCP, said: “The new site in Methil builds on our previous experience of delivering care villages in Kirkcaldy, Lumphinnans and Glenrothes and it is exciting to watch our plans coming to fruition to deliver our commitment to provide residential care home buildings of the highest standard that enable us to provide high quality care for our residents for years to come”.

Clark Graham, early learning officer, Fife Council welcomed this new approach to early learning and childcare. He added: “Whilst ensuring we provide sufficient capacity for those children in the Methil area to access their entitled funded time in nursery, this is an exciting, innovative opportunity to support a planned approach to intergenerational work. The benefits which will be provided by our youngest children playing and learning alongside the care home service users and residents can only strengthen the links and relationships within the community both now and in the future.”

John Mills, head of housing, Fife Council, commented: “Fife Council is a key partner in the development of the Methil Care Village and it will provide much needed extra care and specific needs housing for the Levenmouth area. It represents a significant investment of £8m on behalf of our tenants in new housing.

“The allocations of these properties over the coming months will release family housing for tenants that are overcrowded and people who are homeless. Many council tenants will be assisted into better housing improving their health and wellbeing. I am particularly pleased that the houses will be heated by district heating reducing energy costs for our tenants.”

Work is also well underway in the planning of the replacement for our remaining two care homes – Northeden House in Cupar and Ladywalk House in Anstruther.

The planning application for Cupar was approved at Fife Council’s North East Planning Committee on 15 December 2021, and the planning application for Anstruther will be submitted in the near future. Each of these developments have afforded an opportunity to develop a joint care home and supported housing building in partnership with Housing Services.

Councillor David Graham, Fife Council spokesperson for health & social care, added: “I’m delighted to see the new care village in Methil progressing. This multi-purpose facility, at the heart of our community will provide an area to nurture and develop contact between young and old people and in today’s world that is really important. The community around the development is excited to watch on as the project has taken shape. I am also delighted to see what can be achieved by services working together. Services from the Health & Social Care Partnership and Fife Council working together to deliver high quality care that will help build and strengthen communities.”