Plans for a £1.2million sports development in a north-east town have taken a “major” step forward after the proposal was lodged with Aberdeenshire Council.
The Fraserburgh South Links Sports Development Trust is spearheading a project to create modern athletics facilities in the town.
The new development, proposed at the South Links, includes a six-lane running track around a floodlit football pitch.
Space has also been allocated for field events, including the long jump and triple jump, and shot-put and javelin, as well as an all-abilities cycling track which is planned to go round the edge of the site.
Toilet, changing and storage facilities would be built alongside the new development.
The trust has now formally submitted the proposals – which will be funded by a combination of grant funding, some of which has already been secured – to Aberdeenshire Council.
And last night, their treasurer Norman Reid said: “A project of this size and magnitude in Fraserburgh has taken a lot of work. Getting the planning application submitted is a huge step to seeing the project come to fruition.
“It is a major step – we have cut no corners, we have been diligent and we had a 12-week public consultation period, so this is the earliest we could submit the application.”
Mr Reid added that the trust was stuck in a “vicious circle” of funding and planning, whereby they had to secure planning permission before they could apply for cash from bodies such as Sportscotland.
He explained: “We have no facilities here in Fraserburgh, other than one all-weather pitch which is oversubscribed. It is going to a council meeting in the first week in September.”
If planning approval is granted and the trust c funding from Sportscotland, the project will go out to tender and work could begin “as soon as the turn of the year”.
Last night Graeme Clark, the convener of the trust, added: “It’s quite a positive step. A lot of the funding relies on this. It’s a vital step and it’s the culmination of a lot of public consultation.”
