Agenda item

Consider report by Director, Strategic Commissioning and Partnerships and Director, Infrastructure and Environment. (Copy attached).

4.1       There had been circulated copies of a joint report by the Director, Strategic Commissioning & Partnerships and Director, Infrastructure & Environment seeking approval to replace the 3G Sports Surfaces at Netherdale, Galashiels.  The two artificial 3G sports pitches at Netherdale were installed in 2011/12.  The main pitch was suitable for football & rugby use and there was a further five-a-side pitch.  In general terms, the life-span of 3G pitches was 10 years, dependent on usage and the care and maintenance regime.  Both of the Netherdale surfaces had been well used by club and community and well maintained by Live Borders, but both surfaces were near end of life and required replacement.  At the time of the original construction, a £200k sinking fund (for surface replacement) was established for Netherdale (£100k contribution from the Hayward Trust plus a £100k contribution from Live Borders).  The Netherdale management agreement stated that ‘if the cost of renewal were to be greater than £200,000 then SBC shall be responsible for these additional costs’.  The estimated replacement cost for both pitches at Netherdale was £350- £425k, therefore on top of the £200k sinking fund additional capital of £150- £225k was required – either from SBC or via external funding.  A £200k funding application had been submitted to the Scottish Football Association (SFA) to access funding for the ‘replacement and enhancement of existing 3G football surfaces’.  A decision on SFA funding was expected by the end March 2022.  Netherdale appeared to be ideally placed to meet the SFA funding criteria which included facilities that could demonstrate grassroots football servicing the local community and focused primarily on football development; increased participation; criteria focusing on investment into Deciles 1-6 of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD); multi-sport development; and improved access to sport facilities for women and girls.

4.2       In response to a question regarding any risk to the success of the application to the SFA that could arise from SBC agreeing to fund the project at this stage, the Director, Strategic Commissioning and Partnerships explained that there was no obligation to advise the SFA that SBC had agreed to fund the project in the event an application was unsuccessful.  The Director, Infrastructure and Environment explained that SBC, as part of the application, had previously advised the SFA of the budgetary pressures faced by SBC in the context of funding the replacement and maintenance of sports pitches.   Members expressed their support for the plans and the highlighted the positive impact that 3G sports pitches had made on communities.  The Director, Finance and Corporate Governance provided reassurance to Members that a funding strategy was in place for the maintenance and replacement of the more modern pitches in the region, and clarified that the need to fund the replacement of the Netherdale pitches was because the pitches had predated the current, proactive sinking fund strategy.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)      that the 3G synthetic sports surfaces at Netherdale be replaced with new 3G surfaces;

(b)      to the funding arrangements as detailed in the report;

(c)      that if the £200k SFA funding application fail and/or SFA funding was less than required, that SBC would fund the balance – as per the terms of the Netherdale management agreement; and

(d)      that work would be prioritised to deliver the pitch replacement project to completion in calendar year 2022 and as far as possible that the pitch replacement project coordinated its work with the project delivering the £1.4m SBC investment into the Netherdale stand overhaul/upgrade.