A multi-million pound investment project to bring new community and sports facilities to Banff and Macduff has been announced by Aberdeenshire Council.

Negotiations have been ongoing for a number of years about the development of Canal Park and the creation of a Better Life Centre in Banff.

The arrangements will see land at Canal Park sold to Tesco supermarket and new facilities built for the community including the replacement of the existing community centre, as well as a range of other sports and leisure facilities including a sports hall and gym, child care provision, a youth area and meeting rooms and office space available for general use.

Complex negotiations with the preferred developer to the Canal Park site, Tesco, and ongoing discussions with the Princess Royal Sports and Community Trust, who will run the facilities, have resulted in agreement in principle to the development.

-- Advertisement --

The next stage of the process is to secure legal agreement to sell the land which was gifted to the two councils of Banff and Macduff for the benefit of local people by the Duke of Fife in 1906.

Scottish Ministers approved in principle the application to develop the area in July 2007 and in June 2008 agreed to support Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to grant planning permission.

Since then, detailed discussions have been taking place to agree appropriate funding arrangements between Aberdeenshire Council and the Princess Royal Sports and Community Trust.

The new facilities will include the Better Life Centre as a replacement to the existing community centre, a new football pitch and tennis court at Deveron Terrace Banff, along with a new pavilion, the upgrade of football pitches at Duff House, a grass pitch and an all-weather pitch plus a new pavilion at Myrus, Macduff, and a drop-in centre with meeting rooms for young people and the local community at Macduff.

The development is likely to cost around £10m and will be funded through the sale of the land to Tesco, as well as funding from the Council’s Capital Plan.

The announcement was made as part of the Council's budget setting process.

The Leader of Aberdeenshire Council Anne Robertson said that she was delighted that the project was moving forwards: "This is a significant step in what has been a long and complex process," she said.

(GK/JM)