Grass sports pitches in four areas of North Lanarkshire are to be converted to upgraded synthetic surfaces – but rising costs means proposed additional improvements to a number of existing pitches will not go ahead.
Fields at Glenmanor Avenue in Moodiesburn, one beside Cleland Primary, at Hawthorn Drive in Harthill and either Warnock Crescent or Calder Road in Mossend are to be converted into synthetic surfaces as agreed in the council’s budget in February.
However, an extra £1 million is having to be allocated to the scheme with the cost of the four projects reaching £3.2 million; meaning in turn that artificial pitch surfaces at Caldervale, Calderhead and Coltness high schools will now not be upgraded as part of the initiative.
The adjustment to the planned pitch programme following feasibility studies was unanimously agreed at this week’s policy and strategy meeting, after councillors were presented with four options – ranging from upgrading seven existing synthetic pitches within the initial budget, to completing the originally-planned work at a nearly-doubled cost of £4.2m.
Opposition councillors accused the Labour administration of “financial irresponsibility”, and added that allocating proceeds from selling a building at the former Kilbowie outdoor centre to general funds rather than ringfencing the funds for outdoor education showed “contempt for the people of North Lanarkshire”.
Council leader Jim Logue responded that the increased sports pitch costs “reflect current financial volatility [and] significant disproportionate increases in material costs” – and said that his group plans to address outdoor education facilities in the coming months with a proposal for “a multi-million new provision in Strathclyde Park”.
Elected members agreed to redevelop the four grass pitches, each in areas of “historical underspend”, and to redistribute £1m in funding from other capital programmes to the required budget after hearing that the original allocation is “insufficient” and “not able to cover all of the aspirations at this time”.
Replacement of existing synthetic pitch carpets, which have an average lifespan of 15 years, is being deferred to a later date in the current five-year programme.
Councillors were also told that in the event of “any challenges in upgrading the four grass pitches, the intended level of investment would stay in that local area in some form of upgrade work for the community”.
SNP member Allan Stubbs, the Coatbridge North representative, queried “what going to be cut and isn’t going to go ahead as a result of this decision” and asked: “Why has [the cost] increased by £1m in such a short space of time – is that purely down to the collapse in the economy, wider global impact, or was it just not costed properly?”
Councillor Logue responded that it was the “result of inflationary pressures”, saying: “Materials costs are now 25 per cent higher than a year ago so clearly that has impacted on the potential cost of delivering this project; it happens everywhere and the greatest testimony to that is one word, ferries.”
Responding to the initial publication of the revised scheme, opposition leader Tracy Carragher said: “How can the people of North Lanarkshire trust Labour to deliver their pledges when their financial irresponsibility means we will not see these seven pitches upgraded as promised, and when they fail to invest in essential and much-needed outdoor education opportunities?”
The council leader told Lanarkshire Live: “These pitches will be located in communities where hitherto there has been an historical underspend in new school builds and pitch refurbishment”; and said the SNP’s Kilbowie criticism showed a “lack of awareness and naivety”.
He added: “Standard practice in almost all councils is that land and property disposals contribute to the general services fund where the overwhelming spend tends to be on educational projects; and with specific reference to outdoor education provision, a report will be tabled in the next committee cycle recommending a multi-million new provision in Strathclyde Park.”
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