Support for Welshpool’s bid to have a state-of-the-art 3G playing facility to compensate for the loss of Salop Road playing fields is gathering political momentum.
Last week, it was announced that Powys County Council would be paying £690,000 towards the £840,000 needed to build a similar facility in Llanidloes, with a wind farm developer picking up the rest.
The news that the county council appears committed to providing such a facility in Montgomeryshire towns has buoyed a community group lobbying for one to be built in Welshpool to ease the shortage of year-round options in the town following the loss of the fields to the new primary school development.
Local MP Craig Williams has previously thrown his support behind the Welshpool bid, and now leading local Plaid Cymru figure, Elwyn Vaughan, who is also a County Councillor in Montgomeryshire, has gone one step further.
In an open question sent to cabinet members last night, Cllr Vaughan, who is also running for the Montgomeryshire seat at the Senedd this May, said: “In view of the welcome support Powys have given for the development of a 3G pitch in Llanidloes to the tune of £690,000; and bearing in mind the Open Spaces policy in the Powys Land Development Plan, and the fact that Welshpool have lost their playing field in order to build a new primary school; and the fact that the community already have secured 100k of grant support from other sources, when will Powys Council give similar match funding for the provision of a 3G pitch in Welshpool as done in Llanidloes?
“And if not why not?”
Welshpool has a basic all-weather facility at the Flash, managed by Freedom Leisure, and while it is good for training, it is not suitable for most competitive sports' matches.
It is thought that one of the pitches at Maesydre, with support already pledged by the town council, has been earmarked to be converted into a new 3G facility should funding be secured.
PICTURE: The former playing fields at Salop Road - lost to the new school development.