Purpose

In November 2024 Cabinet
reviewed a report regarding the Football Foundation Project and the
potential delivery of up to four PlayZones in Fenland, with two initially identified
to be developed at the Manor Field in Whittlesey and at Barton Road
Playing Field in Wisbech.
 
Cabinet approved the submission
of bids to the Football Foundation for these two
facilities.
 
Cabinet also noted the
necessary match funding of £62,500 per facility and the
planned funding applications to be submitted to the FCC Community
Action Fund to support the Manor project and Wisbech Town Board to
support the Wisbech project.
 
This report highlights the
current position of these two projects and details that the
necessary match funding, previously identified, has not been
forthcoming following rejection of a bid to FCC and the timetable
changes for the Wisbech Town Board and the Government’s
Neighbourhood Plan funding.  This report
therefore asks Cabinet to consider supportive match funding the two
projects from FDC’s capital programme.
 
This report also asks Cabinet
to consider whether support for two other possible PlayZone
locations – should Football Foundation funding become
available – whilst noting that it is likely that match
funding for the facilities would be necessary from the District
Council once again.

Content

AGREED to:
·        
note the report and the benefits that the
development of PlayZones in Fenland
will offer, namely;
•     
increasing community physical activity levels and
subsequently community health
•     
encouraging under-represented groups such as women
and girls, disabled people and older people to become more
physically active
•     
supporting a reduction in anti-social
behaviour
•     
supporting community cohesion;
·        
note the General Fund Budget Estimates and
Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) Report, agreed by Cabinet and
Council in February, which projects a financial shortfall for
2025/26 of £1.432m increasing year on year amounting to
around £3.4m by 2027/28. Although there are
currently many uncertainties regarding the budget for 2025/26 and
the MTFS, there remains a significant structural deficit which the
Council will need to address. Any additional costs for items not
already included in the budget will incur additional revenue costs
of circa. £81k p.a. for every additional £1m required
based on an assumed 30 year borrowing profile;
·        
allocate the necessary match funding requirement of
£80,925.29 for the Manor Field facility and the match funding
requirement of £74,988.99 for the Barton Road
facility; 
·        
identify that this project is a capital project (as
the original PlayZone report was dated
November 2024;
·        
delegate authority to the Corporate Director, in
consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Environment and Leisure
and the Leader of the Council in his capacity as Portfolio Holder
for Finance to develop the PlayZones as
required in paragraph 3.3, through the Football Foundation
PlayZones Framework and to award,
mobilise and implement such proposal with further authority to take
all reasonable ancillary actions to ensure
implementation;
·        
authorise the Monitoring Officer to execute and
complete all requisite legal documentation in relation to the
matters outlined above; and
·        
to support further bids to the Football Foundation
for a PlayZone facility in Wisbech Park
and a location in March or Chatteris and instructs officers
accordingly, noting that any successful funding for two facilities
will also be likely to require match funding from the Council in
the region of £80,000 per facility if other funders decline
to support the projects.