The Kintyre Forum

Received this news release from South Kintyre Sports Council - great news indeed!

The announcement on Thursday 11th March that Argyll & Bute Council has agreed to commit £480,000 of funding from their CHORD project towards the delivery of a 3G All Weather Pitch and Changing Rooms on Kinloch Green has been met with delight by the local Sports Council’s Campaign Group and the wider community.

Initial news last week that funding from the project would not be included in Argyll & Bute Council’s Capital Budget for 2011/12 was met with concern by South Kintyre Sports Council members. Further enquiries revealed that the Council proposed to allocate the necessary funding from the £1.2 million allocated to the marina development proposals as part of the Councils CHORD project (Campbeltown, Helensburgh, Oban, Rothesay and Dunoon) following Council Officers advice that the marina project was not viable. The paper noted that whilst a marina is technically feasible within Campbeltown Harbour, the proposal would not be ‘self financing’ by virtue of high capital costs (£2.7million) and insufficient revenue generation over the term of the project. It added the financial model for the marina proposal demonstrated that neither the capital costs nor an allowance for depreciation are fundable and recommended that Campbeltown CHORD Project Board members allocate £480,000 towards the All Weather Pitch to “match” the funding application of £380,000 submitted to Sportscotland. The outcome of the funding bid to Sportscotland will be known in April.

The paper went on to note “This AWPF proposal, whilst exceptional, presents an opportunity to invest in a viable project with support from Sportscotland. Without the match funding from CHORD (£480k) it is likely that this support (£380k) would be lost. The AWPF will, in part, contribute to the regeneration of town along with the other projects currently ongoing in Campbeltown. If approved this proposal fits with the Government’s Sports Strategy and the Council Sport and Physical Activity Strategy, as outlined in the business case.”

A South Kintyre Sports Council spokesperson said “We are absolutely delighted with the news! The funding by Argyll & Bute Council will go along way to delivering a top class sports facility that Campbeltown and Kintyre so badly needs. The announcement of funding by the Council has also come at the right time as we wait on news of the Stage 2 funding application to SportScotland. This has sent a clear message of the Council’s aspirations to deliver this facility in Campbeltown.”

The Sports Council added “We raised concerns about the initial proposed model of funding and are delighted with the news that our three elected councillors all worked together to ensure the remaining money would not be lost and there will be further investigations into marina provisions. The last thing we wanted was to be in conflict with any other project in Campbeltown but the proposals rubber stamped on Thursday means Campbeltown could see the delivery of both projects when at one stage it was looking like we would get neither. We strongly believe that the delivery of the All Weather Pitch will create a legacy for sport that the CHORD project will recognise in years to come as one of their main successes.”

The proposals will see a full sized pitch erected with flood lighting on Kinloch Green as well as fully refurbished changing rooms. Such a pitch will meet UEFA, FIFA and FA standards.

South Kintyre Sports Council went on to say “Its just great news and we thank everyone for their continued support over the years, especially Councillors Rory Colville, John Semple and Donald Kelly. With the emergence of Rugby and Shinty in the area again added to the long established football community the proposed facility will give our community access to sports facilities all year round – at the weekend the three fixtures were all cancelled including the Pupils match versus HMS Campbeltown which should have been a celebration of the connection of sport to the town but like many other over the years is lost to foul weather.”

Councillor Rory Colville, who has shown relentless support to the campaign, added “While we still await planning permission and the decision of Sportscotland funding I would congratulate the Community as a whole for their tremendous effort, a huge thank you to PMR Leisure Ltd and all A&B Council officers concerned, especially Sandy MacTaggart for his earlier work and laterally Donald MacVicar. South Kintyre Sports Council have been key in delivering this project and I wish to thank Alastair McKinlay who when Councillor for Campbeltown Central had the foresight in supporting them for such an outcome. While we may be the last major town in the Council area to have our own AWP many lessons have been learnt and great improvements made to the playing surface, it is my sincere wish that SKSC will stay involved and assist in the management and long term sustainability of the pitch so that future generations will never be without”

Argyll First Councillor, Donald Kelly said “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the All Weather Pitch Campaign Group for their unstinting commitment and determination, without which, this project may never have reached this stage. I have been delighted to have been able to offer my full support to the project from the outset. The All Weather Pitch will greatly benefit both present and future generations of local sportsmen and women and I look forward in the very near future to seeing the first turf cut on Kinloch Green”.

The Sports Council will provide a further update as soon as news on the stage 2 application is announced. In the meantime it is fingers and toes crossed as the project reaches the final hurdle of a marathon course!

Well done to all concerned it has been a mammoth struggle which no one in South Kintyre should have had to go through, if anywhere in Argyll & Bute deserves an All Weather Pitch its here. However it is questionable why a "top priority" for The Council was not funded through the Capital Program. It was in poll position to do so back in November even though the financial position was known.

Campbeltown was going to be sold short again, Councillors were left with only a week to consider funding the AWP through the CHORD project with a gun to our heads. Marina or All Weather Pitch - a trade-off which Cllr Colville, from his letter in the courier this week was happy to accept.

Thankfully there was a significant argument to allow both the AWP and development at the marina to progress which senior officers and Councillors were prepared to listen to and the proposal to fund one project only was dropped.

The marina will now be able to progress to the next stage, all-be-it a reduced scale, along side the AWP.

Just a small update - Argyll & Bute Council confirmed this week that news from Sportscotland will not be know until May now. Will keep you posted on any further news.

Kintyre Forum News wrote:Just a small update - Argyll & Bute Council confirmed this week that news from Sportscotland will not be know until May now. Will keep you posted on any further news.

Unfortunately it's now June 23rd now but I guess it's only a couple of weeks now!!

Decision on Campbeltown All Weather Pitch delayed until 23rd June 2011

South Kintyre Sports Council members expressed their disappointment at the news that the decision with regards the Stage 2 Application to SportScotland for the All Weather Pitch on Kinloch Park, Campbeltown has been delayed until 23rd June 2011.

Councillor Rory Colville delivered the news to members at their AGM on Monday evening stating “Sportscotland are meeting on the 23rd of June, assuming their response is positive the council will immediately begin the process of issuing tender documents and work is being carried out in preparation for this. However, being realistic if we do stick to this timetable the earliest estimate of completion including the changing facility would now be circa March 2012. I hope all appreciate the council has done everything possible to deliver this project in the autumn of 2011 but unfortunately the original estimate of April for the sportscotland decision has been wide of the mark and totally out with the control of the Council.”

In March this year Argyll & Bute Council committed £480,000 to the provision of the much needed facility following a successful stage 1 Application to SportScotland which supported the facility as a priority for Argyll.

Stuart McQuaker, who retired as Chairperson of the Sports Council at the AGM after three years in office, said “The All Weather Pitch has always been to the fore of every Sports Council agenda over the last three years I have been in chair and it’s rather disappointing to hear it is now SportScotland who are holding up the process when for so long it was the Council. The roles appear to have reversed.”

David Paterson of the Sports Council’s All Weather Pitch Campaigned added “It’s dragging on a bit now after such good news in March with regards the Council funding allocated to the project. However, it is heartening to know an official date has been set by SportScotland and that Argyll & Bute Council are already laying the foundations for this project. The Council are literally ready to go with this project as soon as they get the green light from SportScotland. The Sports Council will do everything they can to ensure it stays on track and given the pitch itself can be laid from start to finish in 16 weeks we are still hopeful the pitch itself will be ready before the end of 2011.”

keep it moving SportsScotland...some of us oul' fla's want a game on it before it is too late!

Sport wrote:Decision on Campbeltown All Weather Pitch delayed until 23rd June 2011

Well it's D-day this week when we hear from SportScotland if the Council's stage 2 application is sucessful - fingers and toes crossed!!

Sport wrote:

Sport wrote:Decision on Campbeltown All Weather Pitch delayed until 23rd June 2011

Well it's D-day this week when we hear from SportScotland if the Council's stage 2 application is sucessful - fingers and toes crossed!!

Unfortunately not as meeting was cancelled and not scheduled for this Thursday - 30th June.

On another note and for information Argyll & Bute Council contacted us this morning to say SportScotland had cancelled the meeting again and the decision with regards SportScotland funding would be made at a later date!! However, thanks to the efforts of Argyll & Bute Council (especially Muriel Kupris) and Councillor Rory Colville and a short but sweet (not!) e-mail from the AWP Campaign Group to SS the meeting will now be on 30th June.

We cannot stress enough how supportive Argyll & Bute Council are of the proposed AWP and it is comforting to know we have people at Kilmory looking after our interests.

Another delay, another disappointment but all the signs are very positive with regards the application. No public announcement can be made after next Thursday's meeting if the application is successful as until until the formal offer has been made and accepted, in writing by Argyll & Bute Council. (approx 2 weeks later)

Spokesperson for the Third Sector and Communities Councillor Rory Colville said, "Due to the hard work of council officers and the Kintyre community behind the scenes with sportscotland we now have a date for a decision on the all weather pitch. I'm looking forward to their board meeting next Thursday (30 June) when I hope we have a favourable outcome."