Grantown Grammar Community Sports Complex
The keys to a £2.4 million Community Sports Complex at Grantown Grammar School were today (Thursday) handed over from Les Taylor Construction (Northern) Ltd. to The Highland Council to mark completion of works.
Bruce Robertson, Highland Council’s Director of Education, Culture and Sport Service accepted the keys on behalf of Grantown Grammar School, the Education Culture and Sport Service and the Council from Iain Mackay, Director of Les Taylor Construction (Northern) Ltd.
Also attending the handover were Grantown Grammar School pupils, Zoe Campbell, Caitlin Currie, Megan Jones, Finlay Muir and Eleanor Wilson whose artwork features on glass panels within the Sports Complex reception area, gym and games hall viewing area.
Welcoming the completion of works, Councillor Dunlop said: “This handover represents the first step in the facility becoming operational. I am delighted that we are at this stage and from this point on the school will use the facility and as part of the community development, a programme of events will be organised that will lead up to the formal opening and naming of the facility as the Craig MacLean Leisure Centre.”
Handing over the keys to Bruce Robertson, Iain Mackay, Director of Les Taylor Construction (Northern ) Ltd. said: “We are delighted to have undertaken this prestigious project for The Highland Council which incorporates significant innovative sustainable energy sources in the design and construction. It has been a pleasure to work with all the members of the Highland Council design team in bringing this project to fruition which we trust will be of great benefit to the school and community.”
Accepting the keys as a symbol of completion of works and formal handover of the building from the contractor to the Council, Bruce Robertson, Highland Council’s Director of Education, Culture and Sport Service said: “This is the last capital development project that I will receive on behalf of The Highland Council in my role as Director of Education, Culture and Sport, prior taking up my new post with Aberdeenshire Council. I am extremely pleased for this school and its community who have waited patiently for this day to come. I congratulate everyone involved for all their commitment.”
Head Teacher of Grantown Grammar School Irene Carson said: “We are all very much looking forward to being able to use this wonderful new facility at last. This will make a huge difference to the opportunities we can provide for our pupils who previously only had access to one small gymnasium. This is a big day for the school.”
Included in the Grantown Grammar Community Sports Complex is a 4-badminton court sports hall, new gym and field sports changing rooms and fitness suite. In addition to this a reception area will link all facilities including access to the swimming pool.
The idea of a sports complex was first conceived in 1988 by Councillor Basil Dunlop and Mr Gordon McCulloch, former Chairpersons of the original Steering Group which started the community project in the same year. This became the Strathspey Leisure and Recreational Trust which, led by Mr McCulloch, progressed the project and raised substantial local funding. In 2002 changes in national funding criteria required The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service to sponsor the project.
Funding for the project has been received from the Big Lottery Fund £931,122, sportscotland £300,000 and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise £120,000 and the Strathspey Leisure and Recreation Trust have contributed £100,000 which has been raised through many years hard work fund-raising in the local community. The Highland Council met the balance of £950,000.
Designed by the Council’s Property and Architectural Services, the complex includes a strong element of sustainable design, which has high insulation, natural ventilation, and the use of technologies such as ground source heat pumps and timber cladding.
Consultations with, and input from, Grantown Grammar School, Grantown Golf Club and Strathspey Leisure Recreational Trust, contributed significantly in attracting external funding without which it would not have been possible to develop this project.
The facility will be operated by the Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service under a formal School/Community Management agreement.