A new Community Sports Hub has been given the go ahead in Perth after the local authority successful secured funding.

Perth and Kinross Council were successful in their bid for £500,000 of Lottery funding from sportscotland. The money will see the new facilities constructed at Perth High School.

In addition to the funds, more than £2m in monies from the Council will see the construction of a new four-court sports hall, changing room facilities, a club room/training classroom, an administrative office and storage facilities.

The project would deliver on a second phase of development at the school, following on from a full-size synthetic turf pitch which was completed in 2012.

The centre will also provide modern sports facilities for members of the community, local clubs and pupils attending the school. The games hall will have suitable flooring, lighting, heating and ventilation, equipment installation and floor marking to suit a range of sports including badminton, basketball, netball, indoor hockey, short tennis, and table tennis.

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The existing facilities at the school together with the proposed new sports hall will form the basis of the Hub:

• A 4-Court games hall, changing rooms, and associated office and storage facilities
• Two gymnasiums
• Third generation short-pile all weather floodlit pitch (completed in May 2012)
• Indoor Climbing Wall (completed in 2010).

Lifelong Learning Convener, Councillor Bob Band, said: "The Hub will allow the development and expansion of sports participation in the local community, the development and improvement of our local sports clubs, and will also provide improved facilities for young people at the school.

"The aim of the Community Sport Hub is to strengthen sporting pathways, engage and bring local people together and improve access to facilities for local sports clubs at affordable prices.

"Through the work of the Council, in partnership with sportscotland and steering group of local club users, it is our intention that the proposed sports hall will act as a home where a range of local sports clubs can work together to grow sports participation and performance, in line with sportscotland's priority to link school, club and performance sport."

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, added: "We are delighted that our investment will help Perth & Kinross Council to create a fabulous new facility which will become a crucial part of the Community Sport Hub.

"sportscotland is investing £1.5 million of Lottery funding each year into the Community Sport Hubs programme and the initiative is already providing more opportunities for communities to engage in an active, healthy lifestyle."

(JP/IT)