A 'virtual town hall' has now been opened, as part of the consultation phase of the Wellbeing Hub project.

At a meeting of the council on Thursday, March 21, councillors were given an update on the ambitious plans, which will see a state-of-the-art swimming pool being built in Alloa.

The highly-anticipated project will see the new Wellbeing Hub replace the former Alloa Leisure Bowl, which has since been demolished.

Alongside the Wellbeing Hub, the new Lochies School will also be constructed, with the aim of offering top education for children and young people with severe and complex needs.

Both projects will be constructed at the The Pavilions in Alloa West, with public consultation set to open this month.

As reported by the Advertiser last week, a formal pre-application was submitted to the planning authority on March 8. This submission started the formal statutory public consultation process, with pre-application consultation (PAC) events set to run throughout March and April.

As part of the consultation, a virtual town hall has been launched, which allows members of the public to review documents and leave comments and feedback online.

In-person sessions will also be held at Alloa Town Hall on Wednesday, March 27, from 3pm to 7pm, and another session will run at Tillicoultry Primary School on Thursday, March 28, from 3.30pm to 7pm.

Further sessions will be held at both venues at later dates in April.

Alongside formal planning matters, councillors heard an update regarding the design contest, organised in partnership with the Futures Institute at Dollar Academy (FIDA).

Secondary school pupils were encouraged to design an outdoor space for the Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School site, with the contest now down to a handful of shortlisted contestants.

Alloa Academy’s responses were highlighted, with the school now being offered the opportunity to host a planned half-day workshop.

From this, one winning candidate will be selected for shadowing or mentoring under the design team for the project.

Councillor Scott Harrison, spokesperson for sports, leisure and active living, said: “I welcome the further progress this exciting project has made.

“I am particularly looking forward to sharing our enthusiasm for the project at our engagement events over the coming weeks and, of course, hearing what our residents think of the Wellbeing Hub and new Lochies School.

“I’d also like to offer my congratulations to the pupils of Alloa Academy for their success in the design competition, as well as acknowledge the high standards set by all the entrants, which made judging a difficult task.”

The virtual town hall can be accessed at eyesiteview.uk/vpc/cc/alloawest-pan.