Sport plans face an early bath

GOVERNMENT cuts could see plans to improve sports pitches in Fitton Hill and Hathershaw scuppered for a second time.

Bosses at New Deal for Communities (NDC) are anxiously awaiting Chancellor George Osborne’s first budget next week to find out if their funding will be slashed and the project halted.

Exciting plans to build a £2.8 million Sportszone in Fitton Hill were initially scrapped last December after a last-ditch funding blow.

NDC had been unable to get funding in time from the Football Foundation to help bring disused pitches back into use for football tournaments, basketball, rugby and other sporting activities.

But it still planned to invest £800,000 it had allocated on scaled down plans.

These include a proposal for a full-size 3G pitch at Hathershaw Sports College and smaller multi-use games areas at Broadfield School and St Martin’s School. An agreement would be needed on community access so locals could use the facilities.

But the funding could fall victim to public spending cuts due to be announced in the emergency budget on Tuesday when the new Lib-Con coalition Government will look to reduce Britain’s record deficit.

Robin Prescott, NDC’s Partnership and Projects manager, said: “We are still waiting for the DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) to make their minds up as to what funding we will get. We won’t find out until after the budget.”

Oldham Council has urged the Government to release the money.

Councillor Mark Alcock, cabinet member for citizens and neighbourhoods, said: “If approved, the Schools and Community Sports Pitch project will see much-needed improvements that will benefit the wider community.

“This is a significant project and the council will lobby hard to ensure that this scheme is given the priority it deserves in order to improve sports facilities across Hathershaw and Fitton Hill.”

The initial failed scheme was unveiled in a blaze of publicity in March, 2009, when residents viewed plans and were asked for their opinions. Work was supposed to have started in January.