The gloves are off in the fight to save an Angus leisure centre earmarked for demolition, with a businessman preparing to make a “substantial cash offer” to Angus Council to save it from the wrecking ball.
Donald Stewart of Forfar was among the interested parties given an exclusive tour round the Lochside Leisure Centre on Wednesday.
He has now confirmed he will be submitting his offer with Angus Council on Friday to stop the £300,000 planned demolition of the building.
He has urged the local community to get behind him to save the building for future generations.
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He said: “I am delighted to say I was given a viewing of the leisure centre and found the condition absolutely great, apart from a few small cracks that would take a morning to re-point.
“There is a double door that would need to be repaired, a window frame needing replaced and some broken windows repaired. All other issues are of cosmetic nature.”
Mr Stewart has a proven track record of bringing buildings back from the brink and turning them into a commercial success after taking on the Royal Hotel in Forfar town centre.
It had lain empty for seven years after it closed in 2010, opening again in 2017 after a complete refurbishment.
He has ambitious plans for the leisure centre, set within the Lochside Country Park, and has thrown his hat into the ring at the eleventh hour.
He has already confirmed he would create a cinema, indoor trampoline park and restaurant in the building, which closed in February 2017 with the opening of the Forfar Community Campus.
He continued: “This is a fantastic facility, a facility that, once it is reopened, will be a fantastic asset to the town and surrounding areas.
“Let’s get together and save the centre not only for us but for generations to come, and show the council we will not sit back and allow the wrecking ball near our centre. It would be an absolute crime if it was demolished.”
Those given a tour of the building by council staff have until noon on Wednesday to lodge offers with the local authority.
The council is in the final stages of assessing tenders for the centre’s demolition, which was agreed by elected members last year.
This process will conclude shortly with the council intending to formally commit to that demolition contract.
