Falkirk Council pledges nearly £500,000 to the move which will save cash in the longer term

Grangemouth Stadium – a key national venue for Scottish athletics – will be taken over by a newly formed trust, as Falkirk councillors agreed to lease it for £1.

The venue is well used by local clubs and hosts many regional, national and international events, as well as being a key training facility for competitors in events including the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

But with an annual cost of £550,000, Falkirk Council says it cannot afford to maintain the facility and has been working with Scottish Athletics to find a way to save the stadium.

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Members of Falkirk Council’s executive agreed today (Thursday) that the one-year full repair and insuring licence should start on June 1, with the option to extend to a second year if necessary.

Members also agreed that Falkirk Council will spend up to £500,000 to support the move to Grangemouth Community Sports Trust: £350,000 has been agreed for works to improve the condition of the building, while up to £120,000 will be given to help the new group with running costs for the year ahead.

The hope, however, is that this will be “a stepping stone” to a formal community asset transfer, which would see the stadium leaving the council’s ownership completely.

Members were also assured that all equipment belonging to the building will be transferred with the building, following a recent row on social media.

A local athletics group accused the council of removing £50,000 worth of equipment that had been gifted to the stadium as part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Falkirk Council’s Head of Invest, Paul Kettrick, was asked by councillors to respond to the accusations made on social media.

He said: “It’s an unfortunate circumstance that there was confusion around the equipment that was gifted as part of the Commonwealth Games but I can assure members that all elements that were gifted that remain there – because it was a long time ago – will be transferred.”

He told members that ongoing, weekly meetings with Scottish Athletics and Grangemouth Community Sports Trust have included finalising the inventory as part of the handover agreement.

Mr Kettrick said it is normal practice for a property that is part of the SPR to leave some equipment and move some to other council-owned venues.

He said: “The elements from the Commonwealth Games are fairly minor, some weights benches and some minor equipment.

“We also have to recognise that this is old equipment – it’s not new and it’s certainly not to the value of £50,000 as was widely reported.

“It’s unfortunate that groups chose to go to social media rather than raise this matter through the appropriate forum which is the weekly meeting with Scottish Athletics and the Trust.

“However, in terms of the equipment, I can assure members that if its not already been returned it will be returned.”

Councillor Robert Spears thanked Mr Kettrick for the information but added: “You’ve certainly given elected members a busy week!”

The complex is currently closed and some work has already started to upgrade the changing rooms.

The stadium’s windows are currently boarded up, something that had also caused a stir on social media.

Mr Kettrick told the meeting this was mainly to stop it being a target for vandalism before the handover and assured members that groups who use the facilities will continue to have access to the track and field until the new body takes over on June 1.

The venue is part of Falkirk Council’s strategic property review (SPR) which is seeing more than 100 buildings either closing or moving out of council ownership.

Several community halls and Polmont Snowsports Centre have already moved into community ownership or management as part of the SPR, but the size of the stadium has made the transfer more complex.

A community asset transfer – where the building would move entirely to the ownership of the Trust – could see Falkirk Council spending £1 million to upgrade the facilities, using ‘service concessions’ (money freed up by changes to how the council pays for privately built schools).

Malcolm Bennie, Falkirk Council’s director of Place Services, said the proposal had been put forward at this year’s budget but while it “had not been rejected, it wasn’t endorsed”.

He stressed the proposal could be made again but only once the council is in a “financially sustainable position”.

Speaking ahead of today’s meeting, Colin Hutchison, chief executive of scottishathletics said: “Scottish Athletics has worked tirelessly with the local clubs and partners to present a solution to Falkirk Council that will enable Grangemouth Stadium to stay open.

“We welcome the proposed financial assistance from Falkirk Council to support GCST and look forward to working with the Trust and other partners to secure the stadium’s long-term future.

“As the only athletics facility in Falkirk, the Stadium plays a crucial role in supporting the local athletics clubs and providing opportunities for local residents to participate in athletics and running.

“There is great potential to widen access to the facility and ensure that it becomes an asset that the local community can be proud of.”

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