Published: Wednesday, 3rd September, 2008 12:30pm

Wasps are stung in bid for Zones

Pic by: David Robertson

AMBITIOUS plans to transform the former Zones Leisure Centre in Alloa into a top-class football academy could be scuppered following Clackmannanshire Council"s decision to sell the facility to the highest bidder.

The Advertiser can reveal that Alloa Athletic Football Club is prepared to invest £500,000 to convert the dilapidated building into a multi-purpose facility suitable for its needs and those of many local sports clubs in the Wee County.

The Wasps" proposal involves the club either securing a long-term lease or buying the premises at a price set by a district valuer, and then creating facilities which could include sports halls, a gymnasium and astroturf football pitches.

It"s an unprecendented move which would not only benefit the football club, but would allow many other sports clubs to access a modern complex.

While many football clubs throughout Scotland – including neighbouring Stirling Albion, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir – have benefited from major financial investments from their local authorities to create sporting facilities for use by the community, this proposal is the other way round.

In this case, it would be the football club making the major investment in community facilities – at no cost to the council!

Yet it is now doubtful whether this proposal to create a 21st century leisure and sports facility will be realised following the council"s decision to remove strict criteria on the future use of the building.

Initially, it had been expected that Zones – which had operated since 2003 as a leisure arena for under-18s until its demise at the end of last year – would be marketed subject to the condition that it be used for sports, recreational or business purposes.

But at last month"s council meeting, SNP councillors pushed through an amendment lifting the restrictions on the sale.

That decision means the building could now be sold for any purpose – potentially depriving local clubs access to the type of good quality leisure facilities that politicians from all parties agree are badly needed in the Wee County.

Alloa Athletic FC was reluctant to comment on its plans for Zones, but did confirm that the proposal seen by the Advertiser was genuine and had been submitted to Clackmannanshire Council for consideration.

A spokesman for the football club said, 'We are massively disappointed with the outcome of the council meeting and don"t understand why anyone would want to change this from being a leisure facility.

'We"re committed to leisure in Clackmannanshire and the investment we are willing to make would provide a fantastic outlet for youngsters to come along to and enjoy.

'It would be more than a football academy as we would have other sports clubs based in the building.

'Whilst we believe all parties are pro-leisure, this decision has surprised and disappointed us greatly.'

The club"s spokesman went on to emphasise Alloa Athletic"s already strong links with the community, and said that the club"s investment in Zones would have strengthened this further.

He said, 'We believe that Alloa Athletic has an important role to play in the community and that we have demonstrated that by our actions in recent years,

'The club has invested heavily in the new synthetic pitch at Recreation Park, which has enabled us to open up the ground for community use.

'This has been financed entirely by the club, while competing facilities at neighbouring Falkirk, Stirling and Stenhousemuir have all benefitted from local government funding.

'Our proposals for Zones would see even further investment by Alloa Athletic in sports and leisure facilities for use by the football club and wider community.'

The spokesman said the club had not yet given up hope of seeing its plans come to fruition, and would still be interested in renting the premises in the future if someone else bought it and retained it for leisure purposes.

Prior to last month"s meeting, the council had received other expressions of interest in Zones, mainly for leisure use, including a proposal to turn the building into a 10-pin bowling alley.

However, at the meeting, the council"s SNP group successfully moved that the restrictions on the sale of Zones should be removed.

SNP leisure spokeman, Councillor Mark English, told the meeting, 'What is important now is that we get the best return possible for the sale of the facility so that the money can be reinvested in the council.'

Mr English said that one of the cornerstone policies of the council was 'to preserve and enhance the health and wellbeing of the people of Clackmannanshire'.

And he added, 'The SNP will insist that the money raised from the sale of this building is reinvested in areas which will help people most in need.'

After the meeting, council leader, Labour"s Janet Cadenhead, told the Advertiser she was disappointed that the restrictions had been removed.

She said, 'Like many councils, we were not in a position to continue running it as a leisure facility and we had hoped someone would come in from the private sector to run it.

'The SNP can"t have it both ways.

'They complain about the lack of leisure facilities in the county, but then oppose plans to try to do something about it.'

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