This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Sport scores by £30 million
23/03/2003
A regional network of state of the art multi-sport
training facilities is at the heart of a facilities
strategy launched today by the Executive.
Sports Minister Mike Watson announced that almost £30
million of funding - including resources of £16 million
previously set aside for the Euro 2008 Bid - would underpin
the strategy to develop a range of new or refurbished
sports facilities across the country.
The network of regional facilities would include six
indoor areas, one of which could also serve as a national
arena.
This network would be complemented by two versatile
municipal stadia.
Mr Watson emphasised that the plan in total would cost
between £75 and £90m and delivery and is dependent on local
authorities, sportscotland and others working in
partnership with the Executive and contributing to capital
and revenue costs.
Completion will take five years but the aim is for
priority facilities to be under development as early as
2004.
The Minister said:
"Modern, accessible and affordable facilities are
essential for the development of sport in Scotland from
grass roots participation to high performance level. Some
of our main sports facilities which have served us well in
the past are now in urgent need of renewal or refurbishment
to meet 21st century needs and expectations.
"I am in no doubt that what we must have are quality
facilities where our athletes in a wide range of sports at
all levels can train and compete all year round. Indoor
facilities where the technical and medical back-up so vital
in sport nowadays can be provided are of particular
importance to all our top sports men and women.
"Our vision is that regional facilities should be
versatile - not only to accommodate a range of sports in
one setting but to be available for community use to the
maximum extent possible. In addition at a national level a
facility should be able to house major events. In this way
we can make the most effective use of existing and new
facilities and make the most effective contribution to the
development of sport in Scotland.
"This is the approach which is guiding the current £87m
New Opportunities Fund investment in PE and sport
facilities in schools. Making school sport facilities
available for community use is also a key element of our
school estate strategy published in January.
"Our strategy invites collaboration to develop these
facilities. This is essential if this plan is to be
successfully implemented. We wish to secure the involvement
of key partners including, very importantly, local
authorities but also others in the public, voluntary and
commercial sectors. We will develop as soon as possible a
detailed specification which we will issue to local
authorities and other potential partners.
"An independent report we and sportscotland commissioned
last year identified Scotland's facility needs and
confirmed that these could only be mt through a partnership
approach.
"The study identified a menu of facility needs across
sports and across the country. All prospective partners in
this strategy will wish to consider carefully how best they
can contribute to the development of those facilities.
"We will not be able to develop all the facilities at
one time. The Executive has therefore identified a broad
set of priorities to guide development and to guide the
level of support which it will be able to make available
through sportscotland. These priorities will be made clear
in the specification which sportscotland will issue. And
affordability and long term viability will be key
considerations when we review the proposals submitted to us
by potential partners.
"I am excited to be able to announce that the Scottish
Executive will contribute nearly £30m over the next three
years from the Scottish Budget to the development of
national and regional facilities for key sports on
condition that these facilities are available for
local/community sports use whenever possible. The next
stage of the process will allow local authorities and
others to consider how best they can contribute to this
while also meeting their own regional and local needs.
"These facilities can only be developed if there is
assurance about their long term viability. We believe that
governing bodies and clubs have a major role to play here
by helping to underpin the revenue costs.
"The intention is to see the development of facilities
linked to the Area Institute of Sport network now
successfully established in Scotland. The consortia of
local authorities, the higher and further education sectors
as well as other bodies which support the Area Institutes
provide a model of partnership working which could be used
in developing facilities.
"This major investment in Scottish sport includes the
full £16m which we had set aside in the Budget to help
stage the European football championships in 2008 had our
bid been successful. We said when that bid failed that we
would reinvest that money in sport and in youth development
in sport. We are honouring that commitment.
"I identified the clear need for indoor facilities in
the spending review and made some provision. This sum will
be supplemented by funding from the Lottery Sports Fund.
Sportscotland will be consulting soon on its proposed
lottery distribution strategy for the four years to
2007.
"The independent report we commissioned last year also
examined the case for relocation of sportscotland's
headquarters, in accordance with the Executive's policy of
relocating NDPBs outwith Edinburgh where there is a value
for money case for doing so.
"It is clear that there is an economic case for
relocation and we intend to pursue this by investigating
fully the case for co-locating sportscotland's HQ with a
major sports facility development in the central belt area
which we and sportscotland believe could be attractive to
potential partners and to many sportscotland staff. We
shall also pursue with equal vigour the case for relocation
as a stand alone option."
The next stage of the procurement and delivery process
is planned to be:
- Sportscotland will prepare and issue an Information
Memorandum of requirements including a specification
with design and costs guidance and an indication of the
level of support available from national sources.
- The specification will be issued widely to local
authorities, governing bodies, potential commercial
sector partners and others who will be invited to
submit outline proposals.
- Outline proposals should include funding
information, economic appraisal and bid specific
development details. They will be assessed by
sportscotland and the Executive against a set of key
criteria including location, sustainability, training
requirements, competition and event requirements,
transport links, consistency with development plan
policies and partnerships.
- Preferred locations for each of the facilities will
be identified and detailed negotiations around specific
proposals will then take place.
Prioritisation of components between and within
proposals will have regard to a range of factors including
the needs of sports and early generation of income streams
to underpin running costs.