Tadley councillors to vote on £7k grant to Tadley sports complex

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Proposals to award a £7,000 grant towards the running costs of Barlows Park, home of Tadley Calleva Football Club, in Silchester Road, go before the full Tadley Town Council for final approval this evening (Monday).
This was after the council’s finance and general sub-committee recently gave the proposals a tentative go-head.
Councillor Stuart Frost (ind, Tadley central) said that the council had stumped up £21,000 over the past three years to support the complex.
“We granted funds last year and the year before and both times I made the suggestion of fundraising.
I don’t mind the town council matching,or giving extra funds,” Mr Frost said, but he was concerned that there was no evidence of fundraising by the applicants, Barlows Park Management Association, which runs the faciility.
However, town council chairman David Leeks (Con, Tadley central) said they had little choice but to support the facility, or they would be left with an empty building.
Councillor Avril Burdett (ind, Tadley north) said it annoyed her her that the council was forced into either supporting the complex or see it go under, adding: “We have this thing round our necks.”
The chairman of the town council’s finance and general sub-committee, Mike Broad (ind, Tadley east), said he supported the proposal, but objected to clubs from other towns using the facility, including Reading Women FC (reserves).
In a list of reasons to support the grant that it had submitted with its application form, the management association said that, without financial support from both the town council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, it would be highly unlikely that the facility would be able to continue in operation.
Opportunities to increase income were limited, as the hire of facilities was already at a maximum, and restricted by the number of pitches available, while the football club’s own costs were met by its supporters and the complex was “relying upon the same people that have already given generously.”
Planned fundraising activities for this year include bingo nights and a race night but, despite this, the complex was anticipating a £7,500 loss for the end of this financial year.
The association said that recent high winds and heavy rain had caused fencing damage, incurring repair costs of £2,000, while £5,000 in cash reserves had been used towards five-yearly pitch maintenance costs and increased gas and electricity charges had sent bills soaring by £3,000 on last year.
Following, this however, a fixed rate tariff had been secured.