The planned relocation of Scotland�s national sports agency to Glasgow has been brought forward with the announcement of a move to a business park in the city.

The planned relocation of Scotland's national sports agency to Glasgow has been brought forward with the announcement of a move to a business park in the city.

Sportscotland will set up temporary home at Templeton Business Centre near Glasgow Green in Glasgow's east end, just one mile from its proposed new headquarters on the site of the National Indoor Sports Arena and Velodrome. The interim move will last until the completion of its permanent new headquarters, with sportscotland taking over the new accommodation in November. The relocation should be complete by April 2009.

A spokeswoman said the decision will see the implementation of the decision made by Minister for Communities and Sport Stewart Maxwell in his announcement last January, following the sportscotland review to relocate to Glasgow as soon as was possible. There are as yet no figures on how many of sportscotland's 140 staff, currently located at Caledonia House in the capital, will make the move, the spokeswoman said, adding that the relocation would in all likelihood impact upon the numbers prepared to take a voluntary severance package.

However, it is thought that between 80 and 100 employees will be prepared to make the shift along the M8, with many understood to be relishing a switch west, especially given the financial relocation package.

Sportscotland chief executive, Stewart Harris, said the interim location had the benefit of being close to the permanent headquarters, allowing staff to experience the area they will be working in for the long-term and allowing them to establish new travel plans. It also meets the underlying principles of contributing to the regeneration of the east end.

Mr Maxwell said: "I am delighted sportscotland will be moving to the Templeton Business Centre later this year. This accelerates the regeneration of the area and crucially gives the organisation and the staff the opportunity to work at the very heart of sport development as we all prepare for the 2014 Commonwealth Games."

Mr Harris added: "We are very pleased with the facilities offered at Templeton Business Centre and feel it will be the ideal location during this transition phase, within touching distance of the new National Indoor Arena and Velodrome." The future of the entire agency had seemed in jeopardy in January, sparking concerns that the move to the National Arena, or Nisa, by any sports administrative agency would be shelved or at very least delayed.

The SNP had promised to abolish sportscotland in its manifesto for the 2007 elections, the prestige of Nisa hanging largely on whether it could secure a high-profile anchor tenant for its office accommodation.

It is still unclear whether the interim move will increase the cost of the relocation from Edinburgh to Glasgow, estimated at between £5m and £7m. The Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents the bulk of the workforce, has been generally relaxed about the move despite some initial reservations that the announcement was short on detail.

Culture and Sport Glasgow, the spin-off charity that runs city museums, galleries and leisure facilities, will also base its sports development team at Nisa, near Celtic Park.