75 New Jobs on Horizon at Luxury Care Home in Glenrothes
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Kingdom Homes Ltd managing director Colin Smart overlooking the Glenrothes site.
Construction work at the site of Preston House, the luxury new care home being built on the site of a former school in Alburne Park, Glenrothes, is now well underway.
And completion of the £5 million project, in late summer or early autumn this year, will have the added bonus of creating more than 70 new jobs.
The site adjacent to the Lomond Roundabout on the A92 Kirkcaldy to Glenrothes road, is being developed by Kingdom Homes Limited, Fife's longest-established care group, whose Managing Director Colin Smart said the Cluny-based company are delighted to be on the verge of giving the local economy a boost in this way.
"Kingdom Homes have made this substantial investment in Fife to build a 60-bedroom luxury facility for the elderly," he said, "which will bring the total number of care homes we have in the Kingdom to eight.
"Obviously our company is eagerly looking forward to bringing this exciting project to fruition but we feel even that the work thus far has already restored prestige to a site which, since a fire within the former school buildings a number of years ago, had for perhaps too long been an eyesore beside one of the busiest roads in the region."
"Clearly every effort is being made to minimise disruption to our neighbours," he went on, "and we are very grateful for their understanding in this area, being confident that the long-term benefits of the amenity use of the site will, we are sure, make best use of an area at the heart of the town."
Part of the design concept for the new Home has been the creation of an underground car parking area - a first for a care facility in Fife and perhaps indeed the whole of Scotland - not just to maximise the use of the space available and to allow for landscaping work around the new Home, but also to ensure that noise levels for neighbouring properties can also be minimised.
"But our whole ethos is not solely to provide an attractive property at a high profile site, however," added Mr Smart's wife Margaret, Kingdom Homes Ltd's Director of Care.
"While obviously we are also pleased to be creating so many new jobs, recruitment for 75 of which we expect will begin in May or June, of paramount importance will always be our desire to provide exceptional accommodation for our residents and to ensure that their comfort and well-being is catered for with the highest possible standards or care."
When Preston House is opened Kingdom Homes will employ more than 400 people region-wide. The company was founded by Mr and Mrs Smart in 1980 and currently consists of Methven House in Kirkcaldy, Barrogil House at Cluny, Craigie House and Alexander House in Crossgates, Camilla House in Auchtertool, Edward House in Falkland, and Fernlea House in Cardenden.