Bridgend Council has approved a business case for the community asset transfer of Llangynwyd playing fields and pavilion this month, handing responsibility of the land to grassroots football club Llangynwyd Rangers Boys and Girls.
The decision that came at a council meeting held on January 17, means the Bridgend club will now assume responsibility for the land which includes two football pitches, a pavilion, and a car park on a 35-year lease.
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Bridgend Council will also provide the club with more than £217,000 of funding, of which £157,000 will go towards essential repairs and development at the ground's well-known pavilion. The developments would include the refurbishment of the pavilion and changing rooms, as well as providing new mini-pitches to cater for the extensive junior section at the club.
Additional funding will also be applied for by the club from the Football Association of Wales and the Fit For Future Facilities Programme, where they are looking at options for bringing forward a £450,000 redevelopment to the public open space at the site.
The club was founded in 1947, and is currently home to around 300 registered football players across 15 different sections of both male and female teams. Members say with the funding they would also be able to reconfigure the changing rooms to cater for the needs of women and girls’ football in the area.
Laura Dean Poole, committee member and coach for the ladies and girls section, said: "Securing these funds will help to springboard ladies’ and girls’ football in the Llynfi Valley. The club proposes to create dedicated facilities that will enable our ladies and girls to play at home on a far more regular basis, and to create gender parity within the club."
Council leader Huw David added: "One of the big advantages of the community asset transfer process is that it enables clubs and other organisations to apply for funding which local authorities cannot access, so it is really good to see how the club’s ambitious plans for Llangynwyd playing fields includes more than £450,000 of additional investment." You can read more of our stories from Bridgend here, or subscribe to our dedicated newsletter here.
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