Councillors will decide whether to rent Falkirk Foundation land for £1 a year to let them build a major community hub on unused land at the back of the Falkirk Stadium.
By granting the charity a 25-year Community Benefit Lease at meeting of the Executive next week, councillors would enable the Foundation to support delivery of its ambitious plans to build a vibrant community asset.
Once built, the hub will improve people's mental health and wellbeing through activities such as community football, mental health programmes, and educational initiatives. It will also house classrooms, office space, changing rooms and showers - facilities the charity believes will encourage more people to take part in activities such as women's football.
An evaluation of the charity’s proposals to transform the 787m2 site has also highlighted the substantial social, health, and voluntary contributions that the Foundation's initiatives will bring, far outweighing the waived rental income for the Council.
Extensive consultation with stakeholders, including health organisations, educational institutions, and local community groups, has also helped highlight the opportunities the development would bring and the widespread support the Foundation has for the project.
The Foundation has secured £720,00 of funding for the hub from The Scottish FA’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport Levelling Up Fund allocation, EB Scotland, and sportscotland.
Malcolm Bennie, Director of Place Services said:
"This proposal would open up a major investment by the Falkirk Foundation in a community hub that could benefit the local area and help improve mental health and general wellbeing. This commitment to empowering and supporting healthier and stronger communities aligns well with the Council’s priorities. It is now down to Councillors to decide if this is the best way forward for the Falkirk area. "
Credit: Aerial images of the Falkirk Stadium courtesy of Scotdrone.