Community sports complex for Thurso is desperately needed, says Caithness councillor
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A Caithness councillor has issued one last desperate call for outdoor sports facilities to be established in Thurso before he steps down from his role next year.
Thurso and Northwest Caithness member Donnie Mackay said he has been trying for almost two decades to get a running track for the far north.
Campaigners from the Thurso Community Sports Hub have also been striving for years to create a complex at the Viewfirth site in Thurso.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) – which owns most of the site – has pledged to gift the land and make a financial contribution.
The hub represents 19 clubs, with athletes, gymnasts and badminton players among those who would stand to gain the most from the new centre.
But the going has been so slow that the group almost disbanded last year.
The current focus is on a four badminton court-sized building estimated to cost around £1.6 million while the rest of the site would need to be drained.
Cllr Mackay says he is losing patience with the council, saying: “I have been fighting for a running track for the last 15, 16, 17 years. They don’t know where Caithness is.
“They aim to spend millions on Bught Park in Inverness but we cannot get £3 million for a running track in Thurso.
“I would like to see them take over the Viewfirth park in Thurso because we have no facilities – nothing has been spent in Caithness – and as councillor I can do nothing about it.
“I think it is a scandal that in a town the size of Thurso, we have nothing. It is a disgrace. If the council wants to put a smile on my face then they need to put in a running track and a sports complex for the community.
“I’d like to see a sports complex, run by the community, but we need the money to get that started. And a sports complex is badly needed in the county of Caithness for Wick and Thurso.”
He made the impassioned call for action and funding at a full council meeting during a debate on the UK government's levelling-up funding.
The Highlands was downgraded on the UK government’s priority list, apparently due to a lack of data on housing and travel times, so the potential Thurso sports complex was not considered or did not make the cut.
Instead, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross will apply for cash to increase the capacity of Wick Harbour, new commercial units for Wick and a bid to make Wick High Street more vibrant, accessible and welcoming.
Cllr Mackay contrasted the major plans to revamp Bught Park in Inverness that are going forward for a bid that were tabled earlier in the year, which could cost millions of pounds.
He said the key issue was cash. “Raising the money is the main issue and I am sure that if the council backed it, it would be a different story," Cllr Mackay said. "They were holding meetings for a track and I am sure SportScotland were supportive.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: "The bid for the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency is to create investment, employment opportunities and population growth in the town of Wick and in the wider Caithness area.
“The UK Community Renewal Fund (UKCRF) is predominantly aimed at revenue projects that can be completed by March 31 next year. Unlike EU funding, the UKCRF is competitive and the metrics being used by the UK government means Highland has not been classed as a priority area.
"This means all bids submitted must meet the higher threshold score of 80 per cent across the set criteria to be shortlisted. Priority areas have a much lower scoring threshold of 50 per cent and are expected to form the majority of successful applicants.
"The council has shortlisted seven applications and the decision now rests with the UK government which is expected to be made by late July onwards.”
Related news
- Viewfirth sports complex bid is still on track
- Plans to build new sports centre in Thurso are on track
