New 3G pitch for Tweedbank - a real possibility

Ally McGilvray 1606 - 1606 • Published 12 Feb 2009 11:20 0 Comments

A NEW state-of-the-art third generation (3G) all-weather pitch could be built at Tweedbank after council chiefs seemed to do an apparent u-turn on plans to replace the ageing Astroturf this week.

Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker has revealed the local authority, which owns the sports complex, would kick-off the project - if the price is right.

Last month we reported the council finally approved £180,000 of emergency funding to relay the much-maligned sand-based structure currently in-situ - two years after it was branded a health and safety hazard.

It was claimed it would cost £1million to build a 3G pitch in the Borders and that it would kick the region"s hockey clubs, who need a sand-based pitch for league matches, into touch.

However, with quotes for a similar project in Dunbar starting from as little as £130,000, campaigners have argued it could actually cost the cash-strapped council less to lay down a 3G pitch, which can also be used for rugby, at Tweedbank and switch the hockey to the new sand-based pitch being built at the new Earlston High School, which is due to open in the summer.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph this week, Councillor Parker said: 'A 3G pitch would be fantastic and we will investigate every possibility to see if we can make that happen.

'We did ask if we could put down a 3G pitch right at the start of this project and were told we couldn"t because of the cost. But now it appears it is definitely a possibility and we are looking at it quite seriously. At the moment, what we are thinking is, if we time it right, it might be possible to put a new 3G pitch down in time for Earlston coming online.'

And he added: 'Borders Sports and Leisure Trust (which manages the site) is waiting on a quote for the cost of the work to come back.'

Last week, BSLT vice-chairman David Ferguson claimed sports facilities in the Borders had not improved for the past 25 years. And, this week, football chiefs insisted more money needs to be spent on improving facilities to grow sport in the Borders at its grassroots.

The Scottish Football Association"s regional manager for South-east Scotland, Mark Munro, who praised the council"s appointment of two football development officers for growing the game in the Borders, said: 'If we are going to develop the sport of football or rugby we need more 3G training facilities, especially with the weather we have been experiencing recently which means grass pitches are not always available.'

amcgilvray@bordertelegraph.com

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This article appeared in Border Telegraph 12 Feb 09

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