Scotland

Parklea Community Sports Facility is complete

Parklea Sports

A £6 million redevelopment project to transform the Parklea Community Sports Facility has reached completion.

The sports facility in Port Glasgow has undergone an extensive makeover that included the construction of a brand new £2.9 million football pavilion with brand new changing facilities and the creation of two 3G synthetic pitches with associated flood lighting. In addition, a major overhaul of drainage services to the eight grass football pitches was also carried out.

Work began in July 2009 and the project was funded by Inverclyde Council’s capital programme, Sportscotland. Barr Ltd was the main contractor, whilst S&P Architects was the architect.

Extra care was taken throughout the lifespan of the Parklea project to meet the requirements of a Special Protection Area (SPA) that sits adjacent to the site. For six months of the year the adjacent site is frequented by migrating Redshank, and construction work was therefore carried out around the migratory habits of the birds.

Leader of Inverclyde Council, Councillor Stephen McCabe, said:

“Parklea is very much the jewel in the crown of our investment in leisure. Football players and fans from across Inverclyde and beyond will come here to make use of these quality facilities and that can only be good news on sporting, social and health grounds.

“We said from the very beginning we were committed to providing the best possible leisure facilities to improve the health and quality of life for our communities and I believe that the development here at Parklea is a perfect example of that commitment.”

The completion comes as Inverclyde Council’s Environment & Regeneration Committee learns that more than £62 million will be spent on projects this financial year. The capital programme includes arts, leisure, civic, cultural and tourism facilities.

In addition to the Parklea Community Sports Facility, Gourock’s iconic outdoor swimming pool is now complete following a £1.8 million refurbishment project. Further developments include the new £2 million Customer Service Centre for Inverclyde Council and the £300,000 refurbishment of Greenock’s South West Library.

Convener Councillor, Michael McCormick, said:

“A number of key projects have now been completed and we are seeing others progressing very well. It is an exciting time for Inverclyde as the efforts of the past five years start to bear fruit and we move forward with an exciting programme of developments that will help is to achieve our ambitions for Inverclyde.”

Vice Convener, Councillor Jim Clocherty, said:

“The £4.7 million development of Gourock Pier and Railhead is almost at the detailed planning stage and the £10 million Beacon Arts Guild on Greenock’s waterfront is due to be finished later this year.

“We are fortunate in Inverclyde to be in a position to be able to continue a significant level of investment and to lay the building blocks for a thriving and prosperous future.”

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