THE PROPOSAL for the second phase of a new £5m Irvine sports ‘hub’ has been submitted to planners.

A dedicated sports hub building, indoor and outdoor sports pitches plus viewing area, three tennis courts and a 1km cycle track are included in the planning application.

The proposals also included parking for more than 100 vehicles.

The new building, if approved, would be directly connected the first phase building.

The new building would include entrance lobby, team changing area, and storage.

A planning statement says that the development would ‘create a multi-use, active health and community facility in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the community.

It is almost ten years since the decision was taken to close the now demolished Magnum.

During discussions about a replacement facility both a site which overlaps the current Quarry Road development and the current Portal site were considered.

Councillors came down on the side of the High Street location.

At the time there were concerns that the new leisure centre was insufficient to replace all of the Magnum facilities.

While the new centre did not have a dedicated theatre, indoor bowling or flumes, the council stated that the flexibility ofthe facilities would be appropriate.

But the approval of the Quarry Road development in 2015 saw Save the Magnum campaigners claim they had been right about the size issue.

At the time Ian Wallace told the Times: “For me this is just what we said right at the beginning of the Save the Magnum campaign.

“The centre is too small and wouldn’t cater for everything and now what they’re talking about shows that we’re right.”

However, the council said that the development was the result of a wider consultation with the community on the improvement of the town centre, work which was started this month.