New sports and adult resource centre at Bearsden given go-ahead by council

The Allander Sports Complex on Milngavie Road will be replaced by the new centre, after councillors backed the proposals at an online planning board meeting held on Tuesday, June 23.

Provost Alan Brown praised the proposed centre as it would be an excellent resource for adults with disabilities, a sentiment which was echoed by council co-leader Vaughan Moody.

Councillor Duncan Cumming raised several points, including the possibility of providing road improvements to mitigate the loss of 28 parking spaces used by nearby residents, the possibility of setting up a community group to monitor the progress of the development, including a security barrier to prevent unauthorised access to the site and using CCTV to monitor traffic levels. He was advised the mitigating road improvements was not competent to the planning process and his other points were not supported.

The council received five letters in connection with the proposals, including one from Kilmardinny Residents Association. One person objected to the plans while the others were broadly in favour but raised a number of concerns mostly relating to increased levels of traffic in the area.

Councillor Jim Gibbons tabled an amendment opposing plans to include traffic signals at the Alexander Grove/A81 junction, which were part of the conditions recommended by council officers, while Councillor Alan Moir also proposed an amendment which would have allowed construction work to commence at 7am each day, whereas planning convener Rosie O’Neil had varied the conditions within the motion for an 8am start. It was this motion which passed two rounds of voting.

The new facility will include a replacement for the Kelvinbank Resource Centre in Kirkintilloch and a sports drome adjacent to the main leisure centre, alomg with car parking. The main building of the sports centre is expected to remain open during construction  of these new buildings.

Features within the main building include an eight lane swimming pool, a teaching pool, a hydro pool, sauna and steam room, a gym with spin studios., an eight court games hall, two squash courts, changing facilities and a cafe.

The sports drome will add three football pitches and a tennis court, while the resource centre will have meeting and treatment rooms, an office, cafe, changing rooms and sensory garden.