A regional centre for gymnastics could be based in Dundee, the city council's leisure, arts and communities committee will hear on Monday (February 14).

Councillors will consider a report detailing proposals for a £1.8 million transformation of the current Dick McTaggart Sports Centre.

The centre has been closed since August last year, when Dundee College gave up its lease on the building because of the cost needed to address health and safety issues.

Dundee City Council has been working with sportscotland on the gymnastics centre concept and the committee will hear that an application has been made for a sports lottery grant of £1.2m.

Proposals for the Dick McTaggart Gymnastics Centre would see the existing sports halls being re-roofed, with demolition and replacement of facilities like changing rooms and a dance studio.

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Specialist gymnastics equipment would be permanently erected at a standard to allow training for national gymnasts and trampolinists. The centre would be used by a range of participants from grass roots classes to regional squads.

City council leisure, arts and communities convener Cllr Bob Duncan said: "This is an exciting plan to transform the Dick McTaggart Centre into a modern facility to take gymnastics forward in Dundee.

"It would be a place for everyone taking part in the sport and would be yet another centre of excellence in the city.

"With work now started on the new swimming pool, this proposal, along with a plan to reconfigure outdoor pitches at Dundee International Sports Complex, shows how we are working to invest in the future of local people's health and wellbeing."

The committee will also consider a proposal for a near £600,000 overall of outdoor pitches at Dundee International Sports Complex, following deterioration on the current hockey and football surfaces.

An application has been made for a sports lottery grant of £225,000 in a plan to replace a 'wet pitch' and also introduce a state of the art third generation synthetic surface in place of a current sand and rubber pitch.

The new pitches are expected to provide quality training and playing facilities for 10-12 years.

It is anticipated the new synthetic pitch would mean an increase in use for football and rugby.

(GK)