“Exciting times” are ahead for a multi-million-pound project that will help breathe new life into Arbroath.
Tayside charity group Showcase the Street wants to build a public building “unique outside Glasgow and Aberdeen” in the town.
Backers believe the Seaton Park venture would attract national-level sporting events, while providing “much-needed” community use for the surrounding areas.
The charity and the Arbroath Residents of Cliffburn and Hayshead (Arch) appointed the Voigt Partnership to develop ideas for an indoor arena for sports, leisure and community projects.
The centre will replace the football pitch, formerly the home of Arbroath Sporting Club, with a hall, cafe, office and rooms, changing facilities and a floodlit 11-a-side 3G pitch for a range of sports, along with a warm-up area.
Figures revealed parts of the area fell within the 10% most deprived datazones in Scotland in terms of income.
The charity’s chairman, Fergus Storrier, said he has studied similar projects by Edinburgh Spartans and Broxburn AFC, which have made a “real difference” to their communities.
He said: “Showcase the Street have had a long-standing history in Arbroath through dance and also related projects in the areas.
“Thousands of young people have come through our doors to dance, sing and take part in positive activity.
“We were delighted to be given an opportunity to take this project forward and as Seaton Park already has a history of football it is great we can combine a community facility which will support one of the most deprived areas of Angus as well as supporting the wider community of Arbroath.
“Exciting times are ahead, for certain.”
Showcase the Street previously received £25,000 from the Legacy 2014 Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund to further their plans to take on the ownership and management of Seaton Park.
It is anticipated the application will be decided at a future meeting of Angus Council’s development standards committee.
Architect Jonathan Reeve said every effort has been taken to prevent the “essential community asset” affecting its surroundings.
“The development provides a much-needed resource for the community, and is supported by numerous local organisations at local, regional and national level, and has been endorsed by the newly formed Arbroath Community Council,” he said.