Decision

That Cumberland Council provides an undertaking to Cumberland Sports Village Limited (CSVL) to underwrite (a) any excess Preliminary Costs incurred by the company for preliminary works, and (b) any clawback of Preliminary Costs, both of which arise under the terms of the proposed Framework Agreement with the Football Foundation relating to the proposed Artificial Grass Pitch for community use as part of the Cumberland Sports Village project.

Reasons for the decision

The Council is supportive of the Cumberland Sports Village project.  The AGP Community Pitch is a key component of the project and will provide significant benefits for the local community. The AGP Community Pitch can be progressed separately to the wider Sports Village project and will be an important local facility in its own right.  Without the Council guarantee requested by CSVL the funding application to the Football Foundation cannot progress and therefore the AGP Community Pitch would not be delivered without an alternative funding source being secured.

Alternative options considered

Not to provide a guarantee – the likely result of this is that the Football Foundation grant application would not be progressed.

The Council could act as the applicant to the Football Foundation rather than CSVL – this would be a departure from the preferred delivery model for the Cumberland Sports Village project. The Council would still be required to commit to the payment of any excess costs as required by the Football Foundation.