Sports centre plan under review

David Moroney • Published 28 Aug 2010 14:00

PLANS for one of Inverclyde Council’s key leisure developments may be reviewed after a private sports facility was given the go-ahead.

Regeneration chief Jim Clocherty says the proposals for Rankin Park, Greenock, will be looked at again in case they duplicate services which have just been rubber-stamped at a sports complex in Gourock.

Preliminary tests are already under way at the £10.9 million Rankin Park site, which is set to house a sports, leisure and library development.

Discussions are still taking place with SportScotland involving cash and the strategy for delivering the facilities, and full planning permission has yet to be granted.

Earlier this month, plans were approved for an empty industrial unit in Gourock to be used for indoor sports pitches.

Plans for that facility also show a gym, children’s party room and a conference room.

Councillor Jim Clocherty, the convener of the council’s regeneration committee, said: “The council and Inverclyde Leisure officials will now have to consider whether some services planned for Rankin Park would be duplicating those at the new facility in Gourock.”

He explained that officials are continually looking at the plans to make sure they are up to date.

He said: “The plans are being constantly remodelled to make sure they are fit for purpose.

“Everyone is now looking at the financial situation for projects but I don’t think Rankin Park is in any danger.”

Inverclyde Council would not say whether the budget or plans for facilities at the site are being reviewed until after members of the regeneration committee are given an update.

Councillor Clocherty says the new Rankin Park development is set still set to be one of the ‘key sports centres’ in Inverclyde.

The development was planned to eventually be a replacement for the Nelson Street sports centre, offering all the same fitness and leisure facilities plus more.

Councillor Clocherty said: “Rankin Park is probably one of the best locations in Inverclyde for what will be one of the area’s key sports centres.

“We are taking a modern approach to services with a one-stop-shop for leisure.”

The Rankin Park development is a major part of Inverclyde Council’s £23m sports and leisure plan.

Councillor Clocherty said: “People may have thought ‘I will believe it when I see it’ when we announced our sports strategy.

“But now people can see the developments, such as at Parklea and Ravenscraig Stadium, as these facilities come to fruition. The improvements are there to see.”

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 28 Aug 10

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