Lochside Leisure Centre to be demolished in October

Lochside Leisure Centre will be demolished after the forthcoming school holiday.

The decision to wait was taken to try to avoid any closing the nearby play park during the school break and any impact on the nearby caravan park over that period.

Traffic restrictions will be in place for the duration of the work and access to the area will be limited. Signs will be in place to advise the public of these.

Signs will also be placed at the playpark confirming that it will close at some point after schools return and these will also suggest alternative play areas.

Following a tendering process, Angus Council’s Policy & Resources Committee this week agreed to commit an additional £155,000 from the Council’s General Reserve Fund to meet the full cost of the demolition and landscaping work.

The playpark and three of the four car parks around the leisure centre will be closed to accommodate a site compound, while ensuring the safety of the public. The one-way access road will be affected by restrictions and the caravan park entrance will provide access as far as the ranger base. Two-way traffic will be necessary for entry and exit due to the closure of the road at the tennis courts.

In addition to the building’s demolition and clearance, the works include the removal of all asbestos materials and the hard landscaping that surrounds the condemned building before trees are planted and grassed areas reinstated.

It is anticipated that the playpark and parking will open again from February 2023, with landscaping of the cleared area being carried out in the spring.

An Angus Council spokesperson said: “We would like to thank Forfar residents in advance for their patience and consideration while this work is carried out and would ask them to take time to familiarise themselves with the alternative car parking and playpark options before work gets under way.”