PERFORMANCE CENTRE DECISION BIG STEP FORWARD
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and deputy convener of Holyrood's cross-party group on sport, is welcoming today's announcement that Edinburgh is to host the new National Performance Centre for Sport.
Alison, a qualified coach and former competitive athlete, believes the £30million centre, at the Riccarton Campus of Heriot Watt University, can be a catalyst for nurturing local talent. It is expected to be up and running by 2016.
Alison said:
"The rival bids from Dundee and Stirling had much to commend them but I always believed Edinburgh had the edge. I've been involved in sport in Edinburgh all my life and I see the performance centre as an opportunity to support our grassroots.
"The new centre will make it easier for Scotland's potential sporting stars to access high performance facilities and coaching. Today's announcement is a big step forward to bringing out our best."