Pencoed pavilion to be refurbished

The pavilion at Pencoed Recreation Ground is set to be refurbished, re-opened, and taken on by Pencoed Town Council.

Cabinet Members from Bridgend County Borough Council have agreed that the Felindre Road pavilion, which has been closed for several months, will transfer to the town council but will undergo major repairs first.

When the pavilion suffered major storm damage in March 2018, the changing rooms were closed to sports users. The whole of the building was then put out of action when asbestos was found in the roof of the building.

The asbestos has since been removed and the building completely decontaminated, but the pavilion remains closed due to other costly repairs being required.

Now, thanks to an agreement between the two authorities, the facility will be brought back to life with the town council taking it on via a Community Asset Transfer.

Similar transfers have seen some town councils take on the management of several public toilets. Bridgend County Borough Council has also approved the transfer of Hermon Road / Metcalf Street playing fields to Caerau FC, while Bryncethin RFC are transforming their outdated pavilion into a community centre after they agreed a 35-year lease to manage the pavilion and playing fields in October 2018.

Funding set aside by Bridgend County Borough Council to facilitate more Community Asset Transfers will be used to carry out the repairs on the Pencoed pavilion together with other funding that Pencoed Town Council has already secured.

Once the repairs have been completed, the town council will manage the pavilion on an initial six year lease with the intention for them to be granted a longer term lease in the future.

The harsh reality of the current financial situation means that we need to be open to some facilities being managed differently, so we are very pleased to support Pencoed Town Council’s interest in taking on the pavilion via a Community Asset Transfer.

The pavilion has always been very well-used by a number of sports clubs as well as community groups. It’s really important to keep buildings like this one open as they provide so many benefits for local residents, and I believe that this arrangement is positive for all parties.”

Councillor Richard Young, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities

The pavilion is expected to re-open in September 2019.