£620,000 of council funds were allocated to pay for a 3G pitch at Eirias Park without the decision going through the proper democratic process, claimed concerned councillors.
Conwy submitted a multi-million-pound funding bid to the UK Levelling-Up Fund for the sports pitch.
It was hoped that the money would increase the capacity of the Parc Eirias stadium in Colwyn Bay, attracting larger crowds to sporting and cultural events.
The proposal included the construction of a new south stand, changing rooms, medical rooms, and media area as well as the installation of a 3G pitch.
But despite the bid failing, the council funded the 3G pitch anyway, and councillors argued the decision to finance the facility didn’t go through the proper democratic process.
Whilst discussing the capital programme for the current financial year, some members of the finances and resources overview and scrutiny committee said they were concerned Conwy spent the money without the matter being debated.
At the meeting at Bodlondeb, committee members heard how Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) had contributed £100,000 towards the new pitch, leaving Conwy to fund the other £620,000 – money which had been borrowed by the council’s leisure department.
Cllr Harry Saville raised the issue.
“My understanding is that we recently completed work on a new 3G pitch at Eirias at a cost of £720,000, and that this council needed a decision to commit that funding at the full council meeting on 14 July last year,” he said.
“I’ve had a look through both the committee report and the minutes, and certainly, to me, it isn’t explicitly clear that we decided to allocate funding for that purpose. I’d appreciate an explanation about the decision-making process around that project.”
Conwy’s head of finance Amanda Hughes said the funding had been structured in a way that meant the pitch would be financed even if the Levelling-Up bid failed, which it did.
Ms Hughes claimed the new pitch would help release funds by cutting current maintenance costs and that this saving would go some way to paying for the facility.
“The new pitch would see a reduction in the maintenance cost associated with the pitch, which would free up budget within the leisure budget, and also it will generate additional income because it will mean the WRU can train on the 3G pitch, therefore releasing the other pitches to be rented out.”
But councillors were not satisfied that the democratic process had been followed.
Cllr Louise Emery then said, “The Leveling-Up bid failed, end of story. We may apply again, and, of course, it’s over half a million quid, which I presume meant it had to come through full council, but we didn’t see that, so we’ve been sort of told, ‘Oh no, we didn’t win that one, so we’re going to take a bit of that to do the pitch anyway’.
“I’m just utterly confused how you’ve managed to spend £720K,” she said. “£100,000 Welsh Rugby Union, great – but £620K it’s just happened without letting local members know and without it coming through democracy. I don’t understand.”
Conwy’s head of finance Amanda Hughes then conceded the report could have been clearer.
“I accept the point that has been made, I guess, that the report didn’t clarify that element of it, that it would proceed regardless of the Levelling-Up Fund bid,” she said.
Cllr Louise Emery responded: “So I’m not sure if that came through democracy on its own that it (the 3G pitch) would have been passed. But we are where we are. The pitch has been done, and I’m just a bit nervous.
“Can I just plead that, if you are going to make these sorts of decisions, it is really clear in reports as to how we are spending money because I’m really concerned now that’s all that spend is falling onto the leisure budget? It’s just not been clear.”
It was agreed that officers would return with a report about how the decision was reached. But councillors Gareth Jones and Cheryl Carlisle also raised health concerns about the use of 3G pitches by young people.
When Cllr Jones heard the pitch had been financed with a 15-year loan, he questioned if it was wise to have a loan exceeding the lifespan of the asset, arguing the pitch would likely need expensive maintenance work before the council had finished paying back the money.
Cllr David Carr then said he was astonished the council had paid for the pitch when the council had increased council tax by nearly 10%.
