Caerphilly’s Labour AM Jeff Cuthbert has welcomed plans to build a £6m sports centre of excellence in Ystrad Mynach.
However, Mr Cutbert has questioned how the project, announced by the council on Monday, will be funded.
Most of the funding for the project over the next two years has already been set aside by the council and includes £2.3m the authority got through a Section 106 agreement when Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr was built.
All that remains is a funding gap of £900,000.
Mr Cuthbert said: “I very much welcome the news that Caerphilly County Borough Council plans to open a £6 million sports complex at Ystrad Mynach within the next couple of years.
“Credit to the Labour councillors who worked very hard to secure the new Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr at its current location after funding had been allocated by the Labour Welsh Government. If none of this had happened, building this exciting new sports complex wouldn’t be possible.
“However, I think Caerphilly County Borough Council are being a bit cheeky asking the Welsh Government to plug the remaining funding gap. This council has decided to freeze Council Tax so presumably they felt that they had enough money. Didn’t they know that there was this £900,000 gap?
“I’m sure that, with local government elections looming, the Council will be unveiling a whole raft of exciting new projects in the next couple of months.”
It is hoped the new centre, which the council wants open by 2013, will be used by local sports teams, Ystrad Mynach College and professional sports organisations.
The ambitious proposals have the backing of the WRU, Newport Gwent Dragon, Cardiff City FC, the Welsh Football Trust.
Jeff Cuthbert says that it is a little `cheeky` of Caerphilly Council to seek that the Welsh Assembly carries the financial shortfall for the plans to provide this 21st century sports complex in Ystrad Mynach.
Perhaps Jeff would support my contention that most if not all the cost of this planned project should be provided by the Welsh Rugby Union and the Wales Football Association, and the provision of proper competition swimming facilities be provided, on the same site, utilising money from the Planning gain of the new hospital, which already available to the Caerphilly council without the need to go cap in hand to anyone and without the fear of interfering with other budgets Council or Assembly Budgets. This `reverse` sort of proposed `lobbying` by the Council to the WRU for help is unhealthy.
Would Jeff Cuthbert feel the same if it were a Labour controlled council?. The Welsh Rugby Union were less than helpful when Caerphilly RFC whwere in the top division, why would thay help a Valley Community now?.