Murray’s sport centre to be in action by 2021

Judy says she believes work wil start on £40m project next year

Judy Murray has revealed she expects work on her £40 million tennis and golf centre to begin next year.

Development of the controversial Park of Keir sports campus is scheduled to begin in the spring and be completed two years later.

The project was backed by her tennis star sons, Sir Andy and Jamie, and a host of sports celebrities including Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, it sparked fury among some locals who objected to the use of greenbelt land.

The scheme, which includes a fourstar hotel, visitor centre, museum, parkland and luxury housing, sits to the south of Dunblane and the north-west of Bridge of Allan.

The Scottish Government granted planning permission for the centre after initial plans were rejected by Stirling Council.

Ministers decided the centre was of national and regional importance and would benefit Scottish sport.

Judy has now told how she hopes to win over opponents after finalising paperwork with council bosses.

She said: “Once we’ve finalised the design we’ll have something to show people and I do think that when people can see it they’ll just go ‘Wow, imagine having that in your back yard’.”

“I think it’s like a lot of things that those who are against it make a lot of noise and the people who are for it don’t say anything.

“At the inquiry there were very small numbers there on all the days it was on, but you’re never going to convert everybody.”

She added: “We’ve set the whole thing up as a charitable trust. It isn’t a commercial venture for anyone.

“It’s very much that any profits that are generated in time are reinvested in the facility and it is a sport and leisure facility for the immediate catchment around the area.

“So in terms of what it will offer, I just wish there had been things like that when my kids were small, because I was constantly in the car, whether it was going to mini rugby or the swimming pool.

“Nothing was in Dunblane apart from the tennis club and now we will have a number of sports in one place, where the whole family can come and play and it will be pay and play, it’s not going to be a membership club.

“We’re going to make it as affordable as we possibly can by spreading the costs around the facility.

“We’re building in the fields. We’re not disrupting the woods in any way at all. If anything it will open up the Park of Keir to many more people because at the moment hardly anybody walks on it.”

Judy said she hopes the site will be completed by 2021 following further discussions with planners.

She said: “We have to get a Section 75 from Stirling Council and we’ve got to nail down every single thing that’s being asked of us and we’re very close now.”

Once we’ve finalised the design we’ll have something to show people. JUDY MURRAY

An image of the proposed Park of Keir scheme as submitted to the Scottish Government.