A planned cash injection for a new Glenrothes sports hub would be a “huge boost” for the project.
Kenny Crichton, Gilvenbank Hub chairman, said proposals by Fife Council’s Labour Party-led administration to contribute £150,000 to the scheme in Thursday’s budget would almost allow the development to go ahead.
Spearheaded by Glenrothes Cricket Club, the £300,000 initiative aims to create a community sports hub for cricket and football at Gilvenbank Park.
Just 12 months after the plans were unveiled, Mr Crichton said while sourcing money has proven tricky, council funding would make the rest of the project much more achievable.
“It’s fantastic news and will take us a lot closer to where we need to be,” he said.
“Raising funds has been very tough but it becomes a lot easier when we have support from Fife Council.
“Having its support means it is easier to get funding from SportScotland.”
A contribution of £150,000 has been earmarked for the Gilvenbank Community Sports Hub by the Fife Council administration as part of its budget plans, which are likely to be approved on Thursday.
Plans for the new hub were unveiled last year, with an initial target of £1 million set by those behind the project.
It follows long-standing concerns about a shortage of sports facilities in the north of the town, with communities in Balfarg, Pitcairn and Pitcoudie a considerable distance away from the town’s leisure centre at Viewfield.
While the plans have been scaled back because of challenges in sourcing funding, Mr Crichton said that he was taking inspiration from local football club Glenrothes Strollers, which was awarded funding from SportScotland for a new pavilion last year.
“We have cut back our proposals from £1 million to £300,000,” he added.
“While that means we’re not trying for the clubhouse we were after, we’re still going to have changing facilities, a social space and containers for storage.
“It’s taken eight years for the Strollers to get where they are, but this money would be a huge boost for our project.”
Fife Council’s executive spokesperson for finance, Altany Craik, said: “The Michael Woods Centre has its football academy going in and there’s also the Glenrothes Strollers at Overstenton Park, but it would be great to have this hub in the north of the town.”
