A new care village will still be built in Anstruther, despite rocketing costs at the Cupar site.
The cost of replacing Northeden House in Cupar now stands at £15.7 million.
That’s £1.02m more than just six months ago and a whopping £10m more than the original budget agreed in 2020.
This led to fears of a knock-on effect for the Anstruther project with less money to go around.
However, it will be discussed during a review of Fife Council’s capital plan later this year to ensure it is delivered – although it is not clear when.
East Neuk Liberal Democrat councillor Fiona Corps raised the issue at a cabinet committee on Thursday.
She said: “Obviously, I’m saddened and a bit disappointed to hear of even more delays in this project.
“I was led to believe the care home in Anstruther would actually be up and running by now.”
‘No wavering from the commitment’
Ms Corps requested assurance the Anstruther project would not suffer as a result of extra money being put into Cupar.
Labour councillor Altany Craik responded: “There is no wavering from the commitment we have made to delivering these care homes because we believe our vulnerable and elderly should be in the best care home, run by the council, getting the best service they can.
“While the finances quite often become problematic, it’s about using the resources we have to deliver the things we said we would.”
Fiona McKay, of Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, revealed plans for the Anstruther care village are ready.
“We have the plans. We just need to take them through the proper channel to get planning permission.”
Why has the price of Cupar care village risen by so much?
The Anstruther care village will replace Ladywalk Care Home.
And it will be build on the site of two five-storey blocks of flats, demolished in 2021.
Meanwhile, the 24-bedroom residential care home and 12 extra care houses in Cupar was approved for the site of the Dalgairn Centre in 2021.
And it anticipated it will be complete by September 2025.
The cost rises have been blamed on a variety of factors.
These include fuel price increases caused by the war in Ukraine and a rise in the cost of materials due to Brexit.
In addition, a tanker carrying materials for the newly-finished Methil care village became stuck in the Suez Canal in 2021.
Ms McKay said some of the increase is due to the installation of heat pumps and solar panels to meet climate change requirements.
However, she said those would be cheaper to run in the long term.
Conversation