The aim of the Executive's sports facilities strategy is to develop a network of multi-sport facilities across Scotland (covering all of the 6 Area Institutes of Sport), including a national indoor arena and two versatile municipal stadia.
This strategy will deliver World Class facilities for training and competition for our elite athletes and emerging athletes, and they will also be available for local community use. These quality state of the art facilities will help our current and future athletes train and prepare for success, and set Scotland as a real choice for hosting major sporting events.
The facilities will serve the geographic areas covered by the Area Institutes of Sport (AIS); therefore the main facilities requirements of Central, East of Scotland, Grampian, Highland, Tayside & Fife and West of Scotland will be addressed.
The main focus will be on the provision of:
- regional indoor training facilities for athletics, football and rugby
- indoor sports arena with a 200 metre athletics track and facilities for other sports
- two municipal stadia.
The upgrading/provision of new national facilities for other key sports including swimming, curling and cycling is also being addressed. In addition, facilities for indoor hall sports were considered where they fitted into national or regional strategic plans.
10 projects were given Stage One approval in 2004 and the applicants are now working up detailed Stage Two proposals and putting together funding packages. The Executive and sportscotland will contribute £50 million of Exchequer and Lottery funds, with the 10 projects expected to cost over £230 million.