Go ahead for revamp
Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Club (BRCFC) has received planning permission for proposals to carry out a substantial revamp of Davie Park.
The wide-ranging plans were lodged with Perth and Kinross Council in June this year and the club was delighted that its ambitious project has taken a major step forward with planning approval by the local authority.
The first phase of the project will see the installation of a 3G pitch at the home of Blairgowrie Juniors FC, floodlights and refurbishment of the stand, including replacing the roof.
The car park at the Haugh Road will also be upgraded, creating six accessible spaces and a new pathway to the ground.
The second phase of the redevelopment will involve the replacement of the pavilion and increasing the changing facilities for both home and away teams and development of a community hub, with a kitchen, cafe and storage facilities all within one building.
Local firm IMAC Architecture has been working with BRCFC on the proposals and described the project being undertaken as part of a drive to bring the existing facilities “up to 21st century standards”.
Thanking the company’s Ian MacGregor for his support, Sandy Thomson – a trustee of BRCFC and the project lead – said: “This is a major step forward.
“Ian first got involved with the project in 2019 as an adviser on a building and has ended up dedicating endless hours of his own time since then advising what was required to get us to this point.
“Ian’s efforts have saved the club literally thousands of pounds in architect’s fees and are a credit to his dedication to the club.
“It is due to his professionalism and knowledge that we were able to complete the application with all its intricacies and have been successful in securing planning permission the first time round.
“On behalf of the club, a mere thank you doesn’t seem enough, but we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Ian for his support.”
Ian said: “I am delighted that BRCFC has been granted planning permission for the installation of the new 3G pitch.
“It is great news for the club and for the wider community as a whole.
“Once completed, the pitch will be available for use seven days a week from 8am to 10pm, and will be open to all clubs and groups and organisations in the community to use.”
The planning application submitted to the council stated the development “will safeguard and enhance the future of the existing facility, which is already a vital hub for the local and wider community”.
It went on: “Further, the development proposals seek to bring the facility up to 21st century standards, providing full accessibility, thus not only enhancing enjoyment and functionality for existing user groups but also opening up to a broader demographic.”
Davie Park has been the home of Blairgowrie Juniors since 1948.
The club recently signed over the ground to BRCFC as part of the planned redevelopment project.
BRCFC, which was formed in 2011, currently has a membership of 242 players across various age groups.
Funding worth a total of £500,000 was allocated to the redevelopment project by Perth and Kinross Council in 2018.
Plans have evolved over the years and BRCFC now estimates that the total cost for the development is set to be in the region of £1.5 million.
Further announcements on additional funding and timescales for the project are expected to be made in the next few weeks.