A planned £25 million state of the art sports centre will put Perth on the map, it has been claimed.
Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife and Tory spokeswoman for sport, feels the proposed complex which should provide for around 20 sports represents a great opportunity to develop a “first-class” facility for the whole of Perth and Kinross and beyond.
Ms Smith met Live Active bosses to discuss the ambitious plans for the PH20 project, which, if appropriate funding is found, will be built on the existing shell of Perth Leisure Pool, thus becoming one of the biggest sports developments to take place in Perth and Kinross.
PH2O will have swimming pools, an ice rink, gym, health suite and an external adventure play zone, in what has been described as a “21st-Century flagship” for the city.
Ms Smith said: “I fully support the proposed PH2O project. Following the success of Team Scotland this year at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the UK team at the Olympic Games in London in 2012, focus has shifted to how we develop the facilities to increase access to sports and training facilities for our future sporting talent.
“In the same sense as Bell’s sports centre putting Perth on the map for having great local sporting facilities, I believe the PH2O project has the potential to do the same.”
Jim Moyes, chief executive of Live Active Leisure, previously said the company realises this is the time to build a sports centre that is “fit for the 21st century”.
“Perth Leisure Pool and the Dewars Centre are now both getting to an age where they don’t really meet the requirements of 21st Century sport as well as we would like them to,” he said.