WORK is underway at Cowdenbeath's Leisure Centre as ground breaks on the £8 million refurbishment. 

Councillor Darren Watt visited the Stenhouse Street centre alongside various Fife Council officers and Fife Sports and Leisure Trust's key stakeholders for an update on the renovations. 

He told the Times: "The work seems to be progressing really well. There’s no cause for any concern at this stage and everybody is just getting excited for the big move when it reopens in Autumn 2025. 

"The catchphrase that they’re using is 'a hub of inspiration in the heart of the community' and I think that is vitally important for somewhere like Cowdenbeath."

The centre closed in April for an £8m refurb that will take 14 months. 

The project will refurbish and enhance the dry-side facilities, extend the gym space and create studio and library spaces.

The outdoor astroturf pitches will also be replaced with one larger synthetic pitch, and there will be more accessibility throughout the building. 

As part of the project, the town’s library will move from the High Street into the centre.

Cllr Watt added: "We’ve seen a lot of regeneration in Cowdenbeath, on our High Street and in various towns and villages, but we're somewhere that's a huge asset, that brings together many people from throughout the communities and the towns and the villages throughout the area.

"It’s important that we do actually have somewhere where they can come together, whether that's for physical activity, for the library, the nursery or even just as a meeting place in general.

"That's something that's vitally important for a place like Cowdenbeath and that’s what the plan is in place to do within the leisure centre. 

"At the moment everyone seems very optimistic and very passionate."

Going forward, Cllr Watt will continue to monitor the progress of the centre and has put particular focus on ensuring that aqua gym equipment will be available in the centre when it reopens. 

He added: "There are concerns with the aqua gym, which is obviously a very unique piece of equipment that has been long established at Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre but unfortunately this type of equipment isn't freely available pretty much anywhere in the world.

"There will be a demand for that from the public because of the rehabilitation that it provides with soft, gentle exercise.

"It does help improve physical activity for those who are less able-bodied as well, so the aqua gym is something that myself and several others will certainly be working with the Fife Sport and Leisure trust to try and re-establish and reinstate in the new facility."