Oakdale: Caerphilly Council sports pitch and wellbeing centre plans

Plans to relocate an all-weather sports pitch in Oakdale are expected to move a step closer this week.

The current multi-use games area (MUGA) at the village’s former comprehensive school site has to be moved to make way for a new 82-home housing development.

Planning rules mean a like-for-like facility has to be provided somewhere in the local community to replace the MUGA that is being lost, and the council has chosen Islwyn High School as the best location for the new pitch.

The school has also asked for a “dedicated wellbeing space” to be built next to the new MUGA, according to a Caerphilly County Borough Council report.

Costing an estimated £466,500, the wellbeing space is being funded by the school – but potentially expensive drainage and site investigation works could mean that sum eventually rises.

Cabinet members are expected to meet on Wednesday to approve an extra £145,000 of funding from the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund, to supplement the project.

What is Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet?

A council’s cabinet is made up of councillors in charge of different policy areas – such as education, environment, local economy, etc – and a leader.

It is separate to the council’s corporate management structure, which is headed up by its chief executive and various directors. Cabinet is made up of councillors, who are elected and have the ultimate say.

Typically, cabinet members are councillors from the party with the most elected council members.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet is made up of:

Cllr Sean Morgan (Nelson) – Leader
Cllr Jamie Pritchard (Morgan Jones) – Deputy Leader; Prosperity, Regeneration and Climate Change
Cllr Nigel George (Risca East) – Corporate Services and Property
Cllr Eluned Stenner (New Tredegar) – Finance and Performance
Cllr Carol Andrews (Gilfach) – Education and Communities
Cllr Shayne Cook (Morgan Jones) – Housing
Cllr Elaine Forehead (Van) – Social Care
Cllr Philippa Leonard (Risca East) – Planning and Public Protection
Cllr Chris Morgan (Machen and Rudry) – Waste, Leisure and Green Spaces

Corporate management is made up of unelected employees of the council and has responsibility for day-to-day management of services, such as making sure the bins are collected. Corporate directors work with cabinet members to come up with policy which is then agreed upon by the cabinet.

_{Last updated October 13, 2023}

The CIL is currently worth around £514,000 and exists to cover infrastructure projects that cannot be funded through other means.

In this case, the school’s contribution to the wellbeing area will be paid in full, and any leftover CIL cash will be returned to the fund after the project is completed.

The MUGA, meanwhile, is being funded by Caerphilly Homes, the council’s arms-length housing organisation which is leading the redevelopment of the former Oakdale Comprehensive School site.

M J Roscoe

Plans for new sports pitch and ‘wellbeing space’ to move forward

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