Repairs delay sparks call for sports funding

Six months taken to fix hole at Waterstone Crook squash court

Investment in a small sports centre in Newport has been called for after it took six months to fix a hole in a squash court.

The defect at Waterstone Crook Sports Centre appeared in June but was still there when North East Fife Squash Club started its new season in October.

It has only recently been repaired and local councillor Jonny Tepp suggested it would have been dealt with more quickly had it been in one of the bigger centres, such as those in Kirkcaldy or Glenrothes.

He said the delay sent a message to the public that the Newport facilities were being neglected and demanded more cash be spent on improving the offering to encourage greater use.

He said: “I find it very disappointing that Fife Sport and Leisure Trust was unable to move more quickly on this repair.

“It calls into question whether this repair would have been undertaken immediately if it had occurred at a larger trust facility.”

Mr Tepp was told the delay was due to the need to assess the best technical solution and the need for a specialist contractor, who was not available until mid-November.

He said: “The local squash club’s season got off to a really bad start as a result and it sends a negative message to users.

“Investment in the facilities at Waterstone Crook is needed to attract customers.

“It is disappointing that there hasn’t been a significant investment in Waterstone Crook for some time.

“I am worried that this sort of incident only increases the perception the local facility is being neglected.”

However, Fife Council insisted there had been a recent upgrade to the facilities and it took time to conduct a wider repair than just the hole, preserving the court for years to come.

Community projects team manager Andy MacLellan said: “The council and the trust prioritise investment to maintain and, if possible, enhance the existing facilities at Waterstone Crook.

“Significant investment was allocated to replace the sports hall floor with works scheduled to start in early January 2018.

“The squash court is a specialist repair which requires a specialist contractor to carry out the works.

“After further assessment of the damage it was determined it would be prudent to completely replace the whole of the front wall of court number one.

“This required more time to fund, procure and appoint the contractor and schedule the works around Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s operational arrangements for the facility to minimise customer impact.

“Taking the time to resolve the problem will ensure the playability of the court will be maintained for many more years.”

I am worried that this sort of incident only increases the perception the local facility is being neglected. COUNCILLOR JONNY TEPP

Picture: Mhairi Edwards. Councillor Jonny Tepp suggested the repair work would have been dealt with more quickly had it been in one of the bigger centres such as those in Kirkcaldy or Glenrothes.