THE chairman of Cowdenbeath Area Committee, Mark Hood, has described the £1.8m investment in Lochore Meadows Country Park as ‘the starting point not the end’ of the development of the facility.

As the summer season ends at Lochore Meadows preparation begins for construction of a new visitor centre, golf club house and sports pavilion, and the redevelopment and extension of the parks mountain bike trails.

The work starts this autumn with the demolition of the existing visitor centre, with the new centre due to be complete by late spring next year.

Cllr Hood, who chairs the Area Committee said: "The new visitor centre will have a space for exhibits, café and new meeting rooms to accommodate the many events the park hosts.

"This is very much the start not the end, of the redevelopment of the park as we build on this investment to create new facilities in coming years.

"We have one of the most visited leisure facilities in Fife and we know that by investing in these facilities we will attract many more visitors and create more opportunities for local residents."

Along with the new visitor centre, work will begin this autumn on a new golf club house and sports pavilion. This new facility will provide a home to the Meadows Golf Club and local football teams.

The facility will contain a golf pro shop, players’ lounge and changing facilities. Mr Hood, who is the Fife Council spokesperson for sport and physical activity added: "The club house building should be complete early spring and will provide the home these local clubs deserve and also provide additional facilities for the public to use.

"We want to make sure that we continue to develop sports facilities in the park for local residents and visitors."

Mr Hood concluded by welcoming £130k investment in the mountain bike trails within the park: "The investment in the bike trails will see the existing trails improved and an additional 4km of new trails constructed.

"This new investment will see Lochore Meadows being established as the main mountain bike centre in Fife."