This meeting will consider two items that have been made public, a plan for the provision of artificial grass pitches (AGPs), and a number of applications for a grant intended to support the economic development of communities. In addition to these publicly available reports, the Cabinet Member will consider three topics in private: a town centre loan scheme, third party grants relating to the Transforming Towns scheme, and reports that are not for publication.

Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs)

The report pack includes a detailed report, Carmarthenshire Pitch Sports Facilities and Clubs Vision and Plan April 2024, which describes the current landscape of sports pitches in Carmarthenshire, and makes recommendations for the future development of publicly funded sports facilities in the county.

The report focuses in particular on the demand for AGPs, and the cost of providing them. It suggests that the demand for AGPs will soon reach 17 full-sized 3G pitches¹, and that the ten-year replacement liability for those pitches, and all of the other AGPs in Carmarthenshire would be around £10m. The report also points out that a planned small 3G pitch at Coedcae School may not be deliverable. If it is not, it suggests that an alternative should be found in the surrounding area.

The report pack contains a number of recommendations from officers on how to provide AGPs. In particular, officers highlight that:

The Development of future AGP’s to be considered only following a robust feasibility and business planning process

The plan lays out five big challenges to be addressed when providing AGPs, including environmental sustainability, school design, the establishment of community hubs to manage pitches, and the provision of facilities to support the use of the pitches.

Targeted Finance Fund Applications

Five applications for the Targeted Finance Fund are due to be considered, with a total value of £87,005. All five applications have been recommended for approval by the internal Grants Panel.

The largest of these applications is for £20,000 to support the development of a new eco-friendly community facility in Cwmgwili. The report pack says that the Cwmgwili Miners Welfare Hall has been closed since January 2022 because it is unsafe, and the trustees of the hall have concluded that the building needs to be replaced.

A further £20,000 is being requested to support the development of Llanarthne Village Hall. The report pack describes the hall as a very effective community hub that facilitates activities every day of the week, and says that the hall needs funding to improve its sustainability, capacity and facilities.

Two other grants, each for £20,000, are recommended for approval by officers. One to support the development of a Sero Community Environment Centre by Carmarthen Together CIC, and the other to support the enhancement of the soft play area at Xcel Bowl.

The smallest of the grants is for £7,005 to support the Dyffryn Aman Youth Theatres, run by Mess Up The Mess. This grant is intended to support the continued running of the theatre group between January and April 2025 while they seek to secure funding for the future.