AMBITIOUS plans for a tennis centre of excellence in Dumfries are expected to be finally approved next week.
It has been nine months since Dumfries and Galloway Council’s communities committee agreed to stump up an additional £221,000 to help make the £2m redevelopment project at the King George V Sports Complex a reality.
Detailed proposals will go before councillors at the planning committee next Wednesday, which will be the last hurdle before construction work can begin on transforming the current King George V tennis facilities.
SportScotland have been consulted and are fully supportive of the proposals, stating: “The tennis courts which would be lost would be replaced by an upgraded, better quality indoor tennis facility.
“The playing capacity in the area would be maintained.”
The ambition is to create a top class indoor facility that will not only serve the region well, but will bring people to Dumfries from all over the country.
The planning committee papers have revealed details of how the new, upgraded facility will be developed.
The report states: “The proposal is for the existing three court carpet tennis pitch (also being used as football pitch) on site to be removed and the site redeveloped with a new tensile tent structure to form three new indoor tennis courts.
“The development would also comprise a link housing a WC, disabled WC and changing area, and an office for coaches connecting the new tennis courts to the existing building.”
The report explained that the main tennis court area is to be covered with a new tensile structure – a light-coloured treated fabric – which will allow natural light into the unheated court area.
The walls are to be painted dark green, and bricks used in the construction of a link building and small corridor will match the existing pavilion
The report adds: “The front entrance would be well defined by the contrasting dark green cladding and light colour brick.
“The window and doors would be in yellow and the feature window would be round to reflect the tennis use of the proposal.”
The cost of constructing this regional indoor centre has risen from £1.5m to more than £2m, and it was feared that the costs would put the whole development in jeopardy.
Having already committed £250,000 to the project in February last year, the local authority agreed to serve up an additional £221,000 to back the plans by Tennis Scotland.
Abbey Councillor Davie Stitt, who proposed allocating the additional six figure sum required, called it a “great investment for Dumfries and Galloway.”
