Additional funding has been made available for a proposed new leisure and community facility in Girvan, South Ayrshire.

A total of £100,000 has been awarded by Hadyard Hill Community Benefit Fund to South Carrick Community Leisure. The funding follows on from grants awarded to the development in 2014 by South Ayrshire Council, Carrick Futures and the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

In a statement, South Ayrshire Council said it brings the total financial commitments to more than £4.6m, on an overall project cost of £5m.

The facility, which is scheduled to open in late 2016, will comprise of a 25-metre swimming pool, a two-storey children's soft play area, fitness gym, flexible multi-purpose studios, a viewing area and café.

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Councillor Bill McIntosh, Leader of South Ayrshire Council, said: "The new leisure and community facility has always been a partnership project. I am delighted our partners, South Carrick Community Leisure, have played such an important part by raising this latest £100,000, bringing the community contribution to £350,000. My congratulations and thanks to them for their commitment to this project."

Andrew Sinclair, Chair of the Board of South Carrick Community Leisure, added: "I am delighted by this award which brings the community fund raising to more than £350,000 and is nearly the last piece of our overall funding jigsaw.

"By making this award the Board of Directors of Hadyard Hill Community Benefit Fund have given a huge vote of confidence in the project and has really gotten 2015 off to a great start. We're only waiting to hear back from sportscotland for the full funding package to be in place. This is great news."

He continued: "As a community, Girvan has lobbied hard for this new facility and despite the ups and downs over the last couple of years I am more than ever confident that we will see a start to building works late this year."

(JP/MH)