Trouble kicks off after city fails to claim £200,000 for sports pavilion

Published on Friday 21 March 2008 09:27

THE city council was under fire today after failing to collect money it is owed for a new £1 million sports pavilion in south Edinburgh.

As part of a controversial deal to build around 170 homes on the Meggetland playing fields, developer Applecross was told to put 200,000 towards the new pavilion on Colinton Mains Park.

The park is undergoing a major transformation, which will result in improved pitches for youngsters and footballers in the area.

The scheme is already around a year late following a wet summer in 2007. But when the pitches are operational again, users will still have to cope with decades-old, dilapidated changing facilities.

The city council today said it remained committed to an upgrade.

The funding shortage was revealed in an internal e-mail between two senior council officials, obtained by the Evening News.

The message reveals that the money from Applecross has "apparently not" been received.

When asked why, the official replied: "Probably because they don't seem to have been asked."

John Spence, development worker at the Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre, said today: "We have been fighting for this pavilion for years. The money from the Meggetland development was available, but now everything has gone pear-shaped.

"It's a huge disappointment that the pavilion plan has not progressed.

"Presently we have an old hut that must be about 30 to 40 years old, which was going to be knocked down."

Colinton and Fairmilehead Tory councillor Jason Rust added: "It is vitally important for the integrity of the council that developers are not seen to be let off the hook but are made to fulfil their legal obligations.

"Colinton Mains seems to be the forgotten community. The area is in desperate need of new facilities and the 200,000 will go a long way to providing this.

"The council administration talks about health and exercise being important, but in practice it is showing no regard for local residents, and in particular the local football teams which use the playing fields.

"Unless we see sight of this money, the claims of upgrading the park are going to be hollow."

The chairman of AC Oxgangs FC, Doug Reilly, said the team planned to return to Colinton Mains Park next season.

"We understood the money for the pavilion was available and we weren't aware that it hadn't been collected," he said. "We are not happy about the overall timescale, but we acknowledge that the council is trying to do something to improve facilities."

In 2003, Applecross was given part of Meggetland to develop in return for building a new sports complex and new pitches, after nearly a decade of wrangling.

A spokeswoman for Applecross said today: "We have every confidence that costs and claims relating to these matters will be settled and the appropriate payments will be made in the shortest possible time. Everyone involved in this project is keen to see it finalised."

The new pavilion is likely to be paid for using the 200,000 from Applecross, around 500,000 of council money and a bid for 300,000 will shortly be submitted to sportscotland.

A council spokeswoman said: "The council cannot comment on current discussions with individual developers."