A £345,000 3G synthetic turf training pitch with floodlights in Burntisland has been given the green light.
The pitch, which will be built on land next to the Beacon Leisure Centre and run by Fife Sport and Leisure Trust, will be marked out for seven-a-side football on a 60x40m playing area.
Fife Council is investing £237,000 in the project, with almost £108,000 coming from sportscotland. Now that the project has planning permission, the work will take around three months to complete, once a contractor is appointed.
It is expected that the new pitch will be open for business by the end of next summer.
Kirkcaldy area committee chairman Neil Crooks said: “Burntisland has been identified as one of Fife’s community sports hubs and it will be centred on the new 3G pitch.
“This is a great opportunity for the hub to really develop by bringing together the primary school, local sports clubs and organisations and boosting the programmes offered by Fife Sport and Leisure Trust.
“Improving health and wellbeing is a priority for Fife Council and it’s important that we develop community facilities to offer people better access to sporting opportunities.
“This is a good example of that and Burntisland Sports Group have taken a very active role in championing this facility. They will play an important part in encouraging and assisting local customers, young or old and of all abilities, to use it.”
Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, said: “Sportscotland’s funding is part of a wider investment in Scotland’s sporting infrastructure so that, post-2014, we’ve got a network of modern, high-quality facilities which will help deliver a long-term sporting and physical activity legacy, nationally and here in Fife.”
Gillian Lowe, who is chairwoman of Burntisland Sports Group, added: “Burntisland Sports Group are delighted the synthetic training pitch has been given the green light. The group has worked with Fife Council for many years to deliver this much-needed sports facility for the community and I would like to thank everyone involved for their enthusiasm and commitment throughout.”