The new swimming pool will be joined to the existing Montrose Sports Centre and will have a main six lane pool, a viewing gallery and a studio pool with a moving floor. The pools will accommodate swimming tuition at all levels, including competitive swimming and training, water polo and play activities.
When completed, the new sports and swimming facility will also have a health suite with sauna, steam room and a relaxation area, a fitness suite and multi-purpose rooms for meetings and training.
Provost Leslie Melville said: "I am delighted to mark the beginning of work on this tremendous new facility which, when completed in August 2012 will benefit the whole of Angus and especially the people of Montrose. It will be constructed to a very high standard and will attract visitors into Angus. The pool will encourage people of all ages to keep fit and healthy through swimming and other sports and I am confident that enthusiasts with a diverse range of abilities will enjoy this new pool."
Phil McEwan, the managing director of Ogilvie Construction, said: “I’m very pleased to see work starting on site. This project will create a fantastic new community facility that has been eagerly awaited by people in the area.
“Ogilvie Construction has a strong background in the leisure sector, and we were delighted to win the contract to build the new pool and the associated fitness facilities.
“Creating this enlarged sports facility will provide a huge boost for local families and – hopefully - encourage everyone to get out and be more active.
“I understand a webcam is being installed so people can keep an eye on the site as work progresses. I hope they’ll be pleased with what they see – and local residents will be delighted with the finished product, due to be launched in the autumn of 2012.”
The project has received endorsement at national level.
Sportscotland chair Louise Martin said: “sportscotland has been involved in this project since its inception. It’s great to see work getting underway on-site. We have worked closely with our partners in Angus Council to design a swimming pool that meets the need of the local community, along with making an investment of £1 million from our Sports Facilities Fund.
"The pool signifies a major development for the people of Montrose, and it will offer those in the community new opportunities to take part in sport.”
Scottish Minister for Public Health and Sport Shona Robison said: “I am delighted to see work underway on this exciting project which will be a superb addition to the leisure facilities in Montrose. Having access to a new pool will be a real benefit to the local community - it has been designed with local needs in mind. "Swimming in Scotland has been a huge success in recent years and we want this to continue. All Scots can be inspired by the 2014 Commonwealth Games to get active and have fun - that way we can Increase participation in sport and deliver a lasting legacy for Scotland.”