Some £4m in capital funding has been agreed for a new leisure and community facility in Girvan and South Carrick.

The funding accounts for 80% of the total amount required, South Ayrshire Council has said.

South Carrick Community Leisure (SCCL) is submitting bids to potential external funders, but the monies from the local authority means plans for the centre can progress. Plans for the two-storey building at Girvan Harbour include a 25-metre pool, a fitness gym, a flexible multi-purpose studio, a two-storey soft play area and a café.

It is thought the current business plan and design have the capital construction costs as 35m, and the Council has agreed to provide the £4m in full. It had previously said it would contribute £4m to the project, but only as half of the original anticipated building costs.

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Andrew Sinclair, Chair of the Board of SCCL, said: "This is a really exciting time for the project and the pace of progress is increasing all the time. Over the last couple of months, we've approved a realistic and achievable design and business plan for the new facility, and we now have the full £4 million commitment from the Council.

"We've also heard this week that our bid to the Scottish Government for £250,000 from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund has progressed to the second round. That's fantastic news for Girvan and South Carrick and shows just how far we've come.

"We've got an affordable facility, with the majority of capital monies confirmed by the Council, and a number of funding streams being actively pursued by SCCL for the remainder. This puts us well on track to deliver the facility our communities deserve over the next couple of years."

Councillor Bill McIntosh, Leader of South Ayrshire Council, added: "We all want to see a successful new leisure and community facility coming to life in Girvan Harbour and confirmation of the Council's £4 million is a major step forward in making that a reality.

"We're now most of the way there for the capital funding, which is a great position to be in, and we've been working closely with our SCCL partners on identifying funding sources for the remainder."

(JP/MH)