The £12m sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde – billed as the UK’s first “fully-inclusive” residential sports training facility – has been granted planning permission by the council.
North Ayrshire Council has accepted the proposal for the redevelopment of the centre, which will house sports equipment, facilities and accommodation under one roof.
Funded by the Scottish government and the national governing body, the venue will provide opportunities to host international sporting and para-sport events, and strengthen ties with the community through club, school and education links.
Sports minister Jamie Hepburn said the centre would “be a major addition to Scotland’s sporting landscape”, adding: “It will particularly be beneficial to the para-sports community, and will be an ideal venue for national and even international events.”
Reaich and Hall, the architects behind the Aberdeen Sports Village and Oriam sports performance centre, have designed the facility. All three of the facilities have been part-funded by sportscotland. Morrison Construction has been awarded the contract to deliver the project, with work starting this month. The National Centre is expected to be built by the end of March 2017.
Facilities in the centre will include an international standard gymnastics training facility, an indoor 3G pitch, main sports hall, multi-purpose sports hall, dance studio and fitness studio. Five full-sized grass football pitches, a synthetic hockey pitch, four synthetic tennis courts, a golf development course and trail paths will make up the outdoor facilities.
Gym facilities will be provided in the form of the physical preparation centre. The equipment supplier and precise fit-out options for this are yet to be determined, with a working group of industry experts investigating the possible scenarios.
In terms of accommodation and catering, the centre will incorporate 60 twin bedrooms with en-suite wetrooms, a 200-capacity dining and conference area, a multi-purpose education centre, as well as cafes and meeting areas.
The National Centre will is one of three venues that is governed by sportscotland’s Trust Company, in addition to the National Sailing Centre in Cumbrae and national outdoor training centre, Glenmore Lodge.
The Trust Company is currently undertaking a facility management review to ensure all three are running effectively, with the outcome determining the best way in which to operate the redeveloped Inverclyde Centre.
“Facilities across the nation have never been as good as they are now and with the fantastic development of our National Centre Inverclyde we have the opportunity to raise the bar even higher,” added sportscotland chief executive Stewart Harris.
