Future of sports pitches debated
Key meeting over clubs’ takeover:
NEW measures to bolster plans to transfer sports facilities to sports clubs, town and community councils and other organisations were set to be discussed by Bridgend County Borough Council’s cabinet on Tuesday.
By the end of January, 48 organisations had expressed their interest in self-managing facilities, including all playing fields and park pavilions across the county borough. The county borough has about 60 clubs and 530 teams.
With expressions of interest now received on every relevant facility in the area, the proposals involve providing extra funding for the maintenance of sports pitches, cricket wickets and bowling greens – and more time for organisations to complete the transfer process.
Councillor Richard Young, cabinet member for communities, said: “I am delighted to see that expressions of interest are in place for each and every one of our local sports facilities. This has always been about finding new ways to provide such facilities in the face of massive cuts to council funding, and ensure they can remain open for public use.
“The council will not introduce full cost recovery charges for any facility where there is a commitment by an organisation to self-manage it either by full lease or licence.
“Enabling and supporting clubs to take on greater responsibility remains the right thing to do, and the council is fully committed as it ensures long-term sustainability and greater local input.
“The council was subsidising some facilities by more than 80% of the actual cost, so this is far better than increasing fees or having to close sports pavilions entirely because we have not been able to invest in them due to ongoing financial austerity.”
For some time, the authority has warned it can no longer afford to run outdoor sports facilities, and has been promoting community asset transfers (CAT) as a way of ensuring facilities remain open.
Cabinet members will consider supporting a range of measures. They include:
■ Providing sports clubs and the council with more time to complete transfers due to the high levels of engagement from clubs, and town and community councils.
■ Setting aside £50,000 to commission consultants to undertake independent condition surveys of sports pitches, greens and wickets so that future maintenance requirements can be determined.
■ Developing a programme of sports pitch improvement and drainage capital grants from £5,000 to £25,000 in consultation with sports governing bodies to ensure that prioritised sites are fit for purpose.
■ Establishing pitch maintenance equipment grants from £5,000 up to £10,000 to assist in the purchase of equipment to self-manage green spaces.
■ Providing bowls clubs with a one-off grant of £5,000 for each site on the condition clubs complete a CAT lease and take over the bowls green maintenance on a day-today basis from September 30. Historically, bowls clubs have not paid any hire charges.
■ Establishing a joint CAT advisory panel featuring council officers and representatives of national sports governing bodies such as Cricket Wales, the Football Association of Wales and the Wales Rugby Union to help achieve the best outcome for the community. The first meeting of the advisory panel is due to take place in March.
A £75,000 fund is being set up to support voluntary sports clubs based in the county borough.
While applications will be open to any age group, the scheme will prioritise support for mini, junior and youth sports teams as well as under-represented sports groups.
Grants which will be limited to a maximum of £2,000 per team could potentially be matchfunded by the Sports Wales Community Chest or the governing bodies of each sport.
Grants could cover the cost of equipment, training and day-to-day operating costs – and the fund will be open twice a year to receive bids.
At the moment, leases are being finalised for 11 pitches and playing fields in the county borough with business cases being developed for a further 21 and discussions ongoing with an additional 16 facilities.
This involves seven town and community councils – Coity Higher, Cornelly, Laleston, Llangynwyd Lower, Newcastle Higher, Pencoed and Porthcawl.
Informal discussions have also been held with a further five town and community councils – Coychurch Lower, Llangynwyd Middle, Maesteg, Ogmore Valley and Ynysawdre – regarding the future arrangements of pavilions and playing fields in their areas.
There are eight CATs to sports clubs which are due to be completed shortly involving Bridgend Athletic Club, Caerau FC, Carn Rovers FC, Kenfig Hill RFC, Maesteg Harlequins RFC, Maesteg Park FC, Pencoed Athletic BGC and Rest Bay Sports, which is a joint venture between FC Porthcawl and Porthcawl United.
To date, six projects have been allocated from the £1m CAT fund totalling up to £340,000.
They include £50,000 for Caerau FC to refurbish the existing pavilion at Hermon Road/Metcalf Street Playing Fields, £45,000 for Rest Bay Sports to refurbish the existing pavilion on the Rest Bay playing fields, and £75,000 for Pencoed Town Council to enable repairs to the Pencoed Recreation Ground Pavilion.
A different strategy is being drawn up for Newbridge Fields, Maesteg Welfare Park and Aberfields which are all extensively used as public parks by local residents and visitors, as well as by sports clubs.
A stakeholder steering group is due to be established for each of the three sites to determine the most appropriate way of managing and developing the facilities in the future.
The council currently manages 39 playing fields which includes 40 pavilions, 43 football pitches, 25 rugby pitches, 14 bowling greens and six cricket squares. A series of independent condition surveys is due to get underway soon on all council-controlled pavilions to determine what funding requirements will be necessary in the future.
Council leader Huw David said: “In view of the current level of interest in asset transfers from town and community councils and local sports clubs, the increased resources intended to be deployed by the council to support CAT, the positive dialogue with the relevant governing bodies, and the enhanced packages of support that are now in place, the council is confident that the process of completing CAT’s will accelerate significantly over the next year.
“The situation beyond April 2021 will need to be re-assessed by the council in December 2020 to take account of the financial settlement from Welsh Government for 2021-22 and the level of CAT activity, particularly the number of completed transfers.”
He added: “We recognise the extremely important role that town and community councils play in helping to manage and maintain facilities and services that have been threatened by austerity.
“We also acknowledge that in some cases, because of their direct links to local communities and sports clubs, town and community councils may be better placed to work in partnership at a local level to develop long-term sustainable solutions.”