By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Leckhampton Rovers Football Club will be provided with rent support by council chiefs to help them continue with their “incredible” community work.
The club applied to Cheltenham Borough Council for a rent support grant of 62 per cent of the current market rent for Burrows Field and Pavilion.
This will be applied to the portion of rent which is not recouped through subletting to the café on site.
The deficit to the general fund will be £3720 per annum for the first year, and is expected to reduce to £2480 in the second and third years.
Finance and assets cabinet member Peter Jeffries (LD, Springbank) presented the report at the cabinet meeting on October 21.
He explained the rent support grant allows the council to help charities and community groups in the spa town.
“These groups play an important role in making Cheltenham a better place to live and to work,” he said.
“Leckhampton Rovers is a charity which maintains the fields, sports pitches and pavilion which hosts the cafe.”
He praised their contribution to protecting and enhancing the environment and allowing people to live in a safe and strong community.
The club has over 600 members, many youth teams and strong links with the community, he said.
Safety and communities cabinet member Victoria Atherstone (LD, St Peters) said it was really pleasing the council is still able to support its voluntary and community sector so they can continue to do great work in the areas they served.
And Izaac Tailford, who is the cabinet member for wellbeing and public realm open space said it was great the council is able to support them and he highlighted the amount of sporting opportunity they provide as a club.
“It’s incredible to be honest,” he said.
“They’ve got so many teams of different ages, girls teams which is really important at the moment when the sport is growing so much with the Lionesses’ wins.
“They are very involved in working with us to help try and deliver more sporting opportunities across the town.
“It’s really good that we’re working with them as much as we can.
“Mark and the team at Leckhampton Rovers do a really good job and I welcome this.”
Council leader Rowena Hay (LD, Oakley) said the council should be proud of taking the decision in 2016 to give this opportunity to organisations that look after their buildings on their behalf.
“Financially, to charge market rents would mean they wouldn’t happen.,” she said.
“Subsidising that with voluntary sector grants is something I’m really proud that we as this administration introduced.
“Our communities would be so much poorer and weaker without those facilities being able to be used by the voluntary sector.”
Councillor Paul Baker (LD, Charlton Park), former Cheltenham Town FC chairman, praised local football clubs like Leckhampton and Charlton Rovers
“All of these provide so much opportunity for children of all age and ability groups in our town,” he said.
“The tithing about Leckhampton Rovers is they’ve taken on a huge project which they are managing.
“It’s brilliant we are able to continue to support these volunteers in all that they do.”
Cabinet voted unanimously to award the rent support grant.