A £2 million community sports centre in Monifieth will be a “legacy” for generations of youngsters in the town to enjoy, it has been claimed.
The annual general meeting of the Monifieth Community Resource Group (MCRG) heard that residents were more committed than ever to bring the new complex to the west end of the town near to the Blue Seaway.
Chairwoman Jean Lee said: “It’s fabulous. There is definitely a growing awareness among parents of young children that this is going to happen and it will be a legacy for them for them to enjoy.
“Now that sport is a priority for the centre, a lot of parents are very interested.”
A bid for a Big Lottery grant was rejected by charity chiefs last year, forcing the group to come up with alternative ways to finance the project.
Mrs Lee said: “The AGM went well and there was a huge endorsement for the new emphasis on sport. Everybody agreed that is the way forward.
“We are surrounded by golf, walkers and cyclists at the beach front, so it is the obvious way to go and there is a lot of enthusiasm for that.
“We are convinced we have the support of people but we now need to seriously collect data from the people of Monifieth about how they would use a sports facility.
“Next week we hope to get in a funding application to help us pay for such a survey.
“Once we have gathered this data, we will go for the serious funding. We know where we are going but we can’t use the design for the original building because its function will be different.”
The meeting also heard that Angus Council, who have committed £300,000 to the project, have extended the group’s temporary home in a community cabin near the railway station until next year.
Mrs Lee said: “The lease has been extended and Angus Council are absolutely with us. It is looking very positive from them.
“The cabin has gone from strength to strength but there are lots of activities that can’t happen there.
“There seems to be feeling in Monifieth that things are on the move. Monifieth has been crying out for this ages.”