Thursday 1 March 2007
sportscotland demonstrated its commitment to addressing the challenge of improving Scotland’s sports facilities with a further investment of £1,120,000 from the Building for Sport Programme.
Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson announced today that sportscotland has allocated money for three community projects, including the provision of a new sports hall in Linlithgow, a new swimming pool in Lanark, and new tennis courts at a club in Dundee. £60,000 of the funding comes from the sportscotland Lottery Fund.
Ms Ferguson made the announcement as she visited Linlithgow Academy, which will receive £500,000 funding. She said: “Today’s announcement is exciting news for the teachers and pupils of Linlithgow Academy, and this new sports development will also benefit the wider local community. This new facility, along with those proposed in Lanark and Dundee, will help to increase access to a range of sporting opportunities.
“It is essential that everyone has access to high quality sports facilities, to encourage wider participation in sport, and to produce world class athletes who are fit to compete with the best.”
The new sports hall at Linlithgow Academy will include a fitness suite, changing facilities, dance studio, community clubroom/classroom as well as refurbishment of part of the existing PE buildings. The hall will meet the high demand from community clubs for indoor facilities which nearby Linlithgow Leisure Centre is unable to satisfy, as well as providing improved PE facilities for the pupils at the school.
Councillor John McGinty, Convener of West Lothian Council’s children’s services and lifelong learning committee said: “This is really excellent news for Linlithgow. We are delighted with this new award as it will not only benefit the school but also the wider community.
“West Lothian Council is totally committed to community projects and club development and this new facility at Linlithgow Academy will help the growth and sustainability of local sports clubs. In recent years a total of £2.6 million has been spent on improvements at Linlithgow Academy and by 2009 this will have increased to more than £7 million. This will provide yet more new facilities at the school, which I feel sure will be warmly welcomed by the people of Linlithgow.”
The other projects receiving funding from sportscotland are Lanark Swimming Pool and West End Lawn Tennis Club.
South Lanarkshire Council is set to receive an investment of £560,000 towards the construction of a new 25m six-lane swimming pool in Lanark. The new pool will provide local people with a high quality swimming and fitness facility to replace the existing 1960s style pool, addressing an identified gap in sports and leisure provision within South Lanarkshire. The new building, which will include a floating floor to allow for greater flexibility of use, will also have a fitness gym, dance studio and cafe area as well as changing facilities for an adjacent grass pitch.
Councillor Gerry Convery, Chair of South Lanarkshire Council’s Community Resources commented on the award: “This is another fantastic boost for the Clydesdale area. This grant will assist the Council to develop a fantastic state of the art facility for the town of Lanark and is the latest example of strong partnership working with sportscotland. The Council is delighted with this relationship.”
sportscotland is also providing funding of £60,000 to West End Lawn Tennis Club in Dundee. The funding will help provide three new synthetic all-weather courts with floodlighting as well as an acrylic all-weather mini tennis court. The latter court will allow the club to increase and develop its junior membership.
Norrie Taylor, Trustee of West End Lawn Tennis Club said: “West End Tennis Club and its Trustees are delighted to receive confirmation of this award. These improvements will lay the foundations and ensure the provision of high quality tennis facilities in the west of Dundee for the foreseeable future. This project has benefited greatly from the guidance and support of sportscotland throughout the various planning stages.
“Both elements of the project will be accessible to school children, both junior and senior, and the Club plans to develop its junior section through various coaching activities complemented by a vibrant adult and senior playing membership.”
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland said: “Quality, accessible facilities are vital if sport is to thrive in Scotland. There needs to be the right quality and mix of facilities to encourage people in their local communities to participate in a range of sports, on a regular basis, as well as supporting those with aspirations to compete at a higher level.
“sportscotland delighted to be supporting these three community projects with this investment of £1,120,000 showing our commitment in addressing the challenge of improving Scotland’s sports facilities.”
- Launched in March 2004, the Building for Sport Programme (BfS) is divided into two strands: Community Facilities and Training and Competition Facilities.
- Applications for the Community Facilities Programme covers the provision or upgrading of facilities for the local community.
- The Training and Competition Facilities Programme concentrates on the provision or upgrading of centres designated as a national or regional facility by the relevant national governing body for sport.
- In June 2006 sportscotland published ‘The National Audit of Sports Facilities’, which looked at the challenges presented by Scotland’s current stock of sports facilities. The report encompassed over 6,000 facilities, both indoor and outdoor, and estimated that the cost of upgrading and maintaining all facilities over a 25 year period is equivalent to £110m per annum.
- Between 1 April 2006 to 28 February 2007 sportscotland has invested £15,977,297 in sports facilities throughout Scotland. £10 million is from the Scottish Executive National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy and £5,977,297 from the sportscotland Building for Sport programme.
sportscotland Building for Sport Programme – February 2007
Community Facilities Strand
Applicant: West Lothian Council
Project Title: Linlithgow Academy Sports Hall Project
Award: £500,000
Contact for Press: Ian Kyle, Media Relations Manager, West Lothian Council
Tel: 01506 777133
To provide a new sports hall, fitness suite, changing facilities, PE staff base, community clubroom/classroom, dance studio and the internal and external refurbishment of parts of the existing PE buildings.
Applicant: South Lanarkshire Council
Project Title: Lanark Swimming Pool Replacement
Award: £560,000
Contact for Press: Mhairi Anderson, Corporate Communications, South Lanarkshire Council
Tel: 01698 454959
To construct a 25m six-lane swimming pool with floating floor, fitness gym, dance studio, sauna and steam rooms, pool changing accommodation and dry changing accommodation, cafe area and changing for the adjacent grass pitch.
Applicant: West End Lawn Tennis Club (Dundee)
Project Title: Tennis Court Facility
Award: £60,000
Contact for Press: Norrie Taylor, Secretary, West End Lawn Tennis Club
Tel: 01382 714029
To provide three synthetic grass all-weather courts with floodlighting and one acrylic all-weather mini tennis court.
Community Facilities Strand - three awards totalling £1,120,000