Purpose

Acceptance of grant funding from the Football
Foundation for Attleborough 3G Pitch of up to £1million

Decision

RESOLVED that:
 

1)   
Cabinet agree to accept all grant
funding following submission and successful outcome of a Football
Foundation (FF) application (up to £1m) and set up necessary
budgets to spend and proceed with the delivery of this project via
the FF framework.
 
2)   
Cabinet agree to delegate authority to
accept the terms and conditions of the FF grant to the Executive
Member for Leisure in consultation with the Assistant Director
Contract and Operations.
 

3)   
Cabinet agree to contribute up to £50,000 from
reserves to fund the remaining funding gap.
 

Reasons for the decision

The Attleborough Neighbourhood Plan
(2016-2036) has a specific core objective ‘to provide
excellent new and improved sport and leisure facilities for the
community, working with Attleborough Academy and sport and
community clubs and organisation’.
 
Following a community engagement exercise
carried out in the summer of 2023, an online survey highlighted
that 89.1% of all responses indicated that an all-weather pitch was
important to them. 82.3% of all responses came from people already
involved in grass roots sports and 82.4% advised that they would
consider using community facilities at the site with the most
popular sport indicated being football.
 
Other findings from this engagement exercise
showed that the vast majority agreed that availability of more and
better facilities in the town would encourage them to become more
physically active.
 
3G AGP projects delivered with support from FF
grant funding must ensure inclusivity with a large emphasis on
provision for women and girls, and disability football in particular.
 
As well as delivering a high quality 3G AGP
for the community, a dual use site will provide increased usage
throughout school hours.
 
The feasibility report delivered by TRI-Sports
showed a significant increase in participation is expected and has
engaged with local clubs Attleborough Town FC, Morley FC, and
Rocklands FC all willing to become partner clubs if this is
delivered.
 
The delivery of a 3G AGP at the site will also
strengthen the business case for the site, alongside the wider
leisure improvements, making it more attractive to leisure
operators.
 
Failing to proceed with the project.
 
•                   
would see the continuation of high numbers of football matches and
training for both junior and senior local clubs cancelled due to
poor weather conditions and waterlogged pitches with availability
of 3G AGPs limited in the immediate locality of the town.
•                   
There would be an impact to the business case which could cause
significant challenges in procuring a leisure operator to run the
site on a profit share basis.
•                   
It could be considered a missed opportunity to provide a
c.£1.5m facility for minimal capital spend from the
Council

Alternative options considered

1)   
That Cabinet agree to
accept all grant funding following a FF application (up to
£1m) and set up necessary budgets to spend.
(recommended)
 
2)   
That Cabinet agree to
delegate authority to accept the terms and conditions of the grant
to the Executive Member for Leisure in consultation with the
Assistant Director Contract and Operations (recommended)
 
3)   
That Cabinet agree to
contribute up to £50,000 from reserves to fund the remaining
funding gap (recommended)
 
4)   
Do Nothing