Clubs can use some outdoor sport facilities for free after coronavirus

SPORTS clubs in Bridgend no longer have to pay fees to use outdoor sports facilities for the 2019/20 season after the local authority waived the charges there.

Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) has cancelled the fees in response to the financial pressures on local sports clubs caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Chairman of Porthcawl Athletic Association John Edwards said waiving the fees “will help the situation” for sports clubs in the area.

“It is a difficult time,” he said. “We are grateful for any help.”

Cabinet Member for Communities Richard Young said: “We decided some time ago not to impose sports club charges for the March to May 2020 period, but recently added the period September 2019 to February 2020 as well.

“This is because of the way in which the pandemic has greatly reduced income streams at local clubs.

“The council understands that some are struggling financially, and we want do to do what we can to support them while lockdown is still in effect.

“The waiver of hire charges will automatically improve the cash flow of individual sports clubs as it is one less bill that they no longer have to pay.”

Norah Clarke, Independent Alliance Group Leader, said: “As sports clubs have been and are unable to use their facilities due to the pandemic I definitely believe that the decision taken by BCBC administration to waive the fees has certainly been the right one.

“I think in the short term waiving the fees will help clubs in a small way but there must be a huge concern within clubs how they organise themselves going forward.”

The decision to waive the fees comes less than a year after the council increased fees for sports clubs by 500 per cent in October 2019, which caused upset among locals.

Mr Edwards said the high fees introduced by the council last year prompted Porthcawl Town Athletic FC to apply for a community asset transfer (CAT), which would see the club taking on the costs of its own pitch maintenance and other facilities.

He added that the club was not satisfied with the pitch maintenance provided by the council. “In recent times the amount of work that has been cut down on the pitches has caused them to deteriorate.

“[The council] has had cutbacks, we understand that and therefore it is only able to offer us a limited service to what we have been used to in the past.”