WIREDGOV

Edinburgh to host new elite performance sport centre.

The National Performance Centre for Sport (NPCS), a new facility to help Scotland’s elite athletes excel on the world stage, will be located at the Riccarton Campus of Heriot Watt University.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has accepted the unanimous recommendation from the NPCS Steering Group.

The £30 million multi-sport centre will offer world class training facilities for individual athletes and squads, high performance coaching and cutting edge sports medicine.

The NPCS will support the high performance needs for football, rugby and volleyball while offering additional dedicated support to athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, fencing, handball, hockey, netball, shinty and squash. The site at Riccarton also offers an excellent opportunity for future expansion. It will be operational by 2016.

Nicola Sturgeon said:

“The National Performance Centre for Sport will be the jewel in the crown for Scottish sport and help turn dreams into reality. It will be the best place for our elite athletes to mentally and physically prepare to compete on the world stage, helping more Scots win, more often.

“The Heriot Watt and City of Edinburgh Council team presented an inspiring vision which clearly demonstrated a positive commitment to developing high performance and a strong focus on partnership. I am confident they will deliver an iconic project, in a great setting, that takes Scottish sport onto a new level.

“Our vision for sport builds on the tremendous expertise at the sportscotland institute of sport and complements the increasing number of world-class facilities across Scotland where elite athletes are training, such as the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, the refurbished Royal Commonwealth Pool, the Aberdeen Sports Arena and the Tollcross Aquatics Centre.”

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said:

“Today is a very significant day for sport in Scotland as the National Performance Centre for Sport is a tremendous addition to Scotland’s sporting facilities.

“This new multi-sport performance centre will complement the terrific facilities we already have in Scotland, and assist our high performance athletes in honing their skills and delivering on the world stage.”

Notes to editors

The NPCS will be backed by £25 million from the Scottish Government and £2.5 million from each of Heriot-Watt University and the City of Edinburgh Council. It is expected that construction will start in spring 2014 with the Centre completed and operation in January 2016.

The Centre will offer an indoor full sized 3G football pitch with seating for 500, a full sized Hampden grass pitch with seating for 500, a synthetic 3G pitch, two goalkeeper training areas with floodlights, two grass rugby pitches, five grass football pitches, three outdoor tennis courts, a nine court sports hall, a 100 station fitness suite, hydrotherapy, strength and conditioning and treatment areas, office accommodation for governing bodies and also incorporate the existing facilities at the University’s Centre for Sport and Exercise.

Stage 1 bidding closed in February 2013 and six applications were received. An assessment of each bid was carried out by the NPCS Steering Group supported by sportscotland. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon approved the recommendation of the Steering Group to invite three of the bids to work up more detailed stage 2 proposals. Those were: Dundee City Council; Heriot Watt University supported by the City of Edinburgh Council; and a partnership between the University of Stirling and Stirling Council.

Stage two applications were submitted in July and each of the bids was assessed by the sportscotland across the key criteria set out in the bid documentation: Sports Impact and Strategic Need; Technical; Management and Operational; Financial; and Legal and Planning. The Steering Group visited each of the proposed sites on August 1, during which the relevant bid teams outlined their plans. The bidders made final presentations to the Steering Group on August 8. The Steering Group subsequently presented a report and a unanimous recommendation to the Deputy First Minister.

The Steering Group members are: