Sportscotland have confirmed this week that a new state of the art building will replace the hotel/reception building at Inverclyde Sports Centre.

It is the next step in the evolution of the sporting complex, as the governing body for sport announced that a new accommodation and sports conference centre will be constructed on the current site.

This will allow the National Sports Centre to become Scotland’s first dedicated para-sport centre of excellence.

The new multi-million pound investment – at least £9 million is being spent - will be completed by 2016, and deliver a modern, accessible and fully-inclusive, world-class centre of excellence.

Inverclyde’s sports facilities shall remain open and available for existing users, the national squads, schools and clubs across the country, as well as members of the local community, right throughout the construction period.

Following an independent survey examining possible options for the accommodation and catering centre, it is unequivocal that the only cost-effective, viable way to safeguard the centre’s future is to replace the current building, which has no capacity to cater for para-athletes or disabled children and young people.

Commenting on this development, the Principal of Inverclyde, John Kent, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Inverclyde and this multi-million pound investment will safeguard the National Sports Centre’s future allowing us to continue to attract national training squads, clubs and residential school weeks from across the country, and provide Scotland’s first dedicated para-sport centre of excellence.

“The new state-of-the-art building will allow us to sustain a fully-inclusive and accessible world-class sporting facility with 60 fully adapted residential rooms.

“The old building has served the people of Scotland and Largs extremely well, but was built in the 19th Century and is no longer fit-for-purpose.

“The new building will be designed to cater fully for para-sports’ performance athletes, children, young people, and adults with disabilities, as well as existing users, who will all be able to reside at the centre and benefit from all the excellent sports facilities we provide.” The buildling set for demolition in the new year is not listed by Historic Scotland, and served as the Hills Hotel in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, until Inverclyde Sports Centre took over the running of the location, and was officially opened by the Queen in 1958. The hotel building also famously held secret meetings during the Second World War, as did several other hotels in Largs, to plan the D-Day landings.

When asked by the 'News', the Largs Matters business group have expressed an interest in working alongside the sports centre to work towards providing improved disabled access and facilities within the town in preparation for the new £9m development.