The long-awaited Blairgowrie recreation centre is on course for completion by early next year.
The £36 million venue is now scheduled to open five years later than expected – at twice the original cost.
It will replace the existing 40-year-old centre on the campus of Blairgowrie High School.
And it will boast a mix of indoor and outdoor facilities – including a swimming pool, games halls, dance studio and all-weather pitch.
The Blairgowrie recreation centre was originally expected to open in 2020. But the project was hit by a series of delays and funding setbacks.
Perthshire North MSP John Swinney joined local councillors for a site visit last week.
He said he was delighted to see the progress on the development.
“The project is going well and will be a huge benefit to the local community,” said Mr Swinney.
Existing Blairgowrie recreation centre will be demolished
The new recreation centre is being constructed to the south of Blairgowrie High School.
It will be available to the wider community as well as pupils.
Perth and Kinross Council says construction is due to be completed by the end of this year/early next year.
The second phase will involve demolition of the existing recreation centre and completion of the parking. It is due to be completed by May 2025.
The facilities will include:
• Six-lane, 25 metre swimming pool
• Four-court games hall
• Two-court games hall/gymnasium
• Dance studio
• Fitness gym
• PE classroom
• Changing Places
• Accessible changing
• Changing facilities for the pool, sports hall and external all-weather pitch
• Changing for the external all-weather pitch
• Offices for Live Active Leisure and school staff
Bumpy route towards centre opening
The plans were approved in August 2022, several years after the new Blairgowrie recreation centre was first proposed.
The project initially had a budget of £18m.
However, a row erupted in 2019 after £3m was removed from the funding.
Perth and Kinross Council later granted it a further £8.9m to allow the plans to go ahead.
At that point the budget was put at £24m.
Additional funding was approved in last year’s capital budget after the cost rose to £36m.
Councillor John Rebbeck, convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s learning and families committee said: “This has been a long-awaited project and it’s wonderful to see how the project is progressing.
“The current recreation centre is over 40 years old and no longer really fit for purpose.”
Recreation centre will bring top class facilities to Blairgowrie
Tom McEwan, SNP councillor for Blairgowrie and the Glens, said the new Blairgowrie recreation centre would make a huge difference to local people’s lives.
“They will have top-of-the range facilities on their doorstep, including a six lane swimming pool,” he added.
And fellow Blairgowrie and Glens councillor Bob Brawn said: “This was a long time in the planning but this new building, constructed to the Passivhaus design, will be future-proofed and present a marvellous facility for Blairgowrie and East Perthshire.”
The new Blairgowrie recreation centre will be the first in Scotland to be built to Passivhaus standard.
Passivhaus buildings are constructed to use considerably less energy than regular buildings of a similar size.
Riverside Primary School in Perth became Scotland’s first Passivhaus-accredited school last month. The new Perth High School is also being built to the same standards.
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