Geographical context
The developer GPI
● Provided funding for the purchase of the land at Burngrange, (which gave the council a capital receipt in line with budget of £280,000); and £80,000 to fund the additional pitch at Polbeth.
● Procured design and build contracts for the new 1,877 sm medical centre, cost about £ 3 million and the 260sqm pavilion at Hermand Park and fencing, at a cost of about £0.5 million and
● Ensured compliance with planning and transport requirements
West Calder United Football Club Juniors had exclusive occupation of Burngrange under a long lease until 30 June 2010 so simultaneous agreement was reached for
● The renunciation of the lease
This plan shows the villages of West Calder and Polbeth. These are less than 1½ miles apart. Hermand Park is midway between the two. The plan also shows the locations of the former GP Surgery and clinic, the new medical facilities, Hermand Park and Limefield Park.
The parties
In addition to the developer GPI other parties and roles identified were
● West Calder United Football Club: a local adult team, playing in a semi-professional league. To release Burngrange, the club had to be relocated and the preferred location was Hermand Park, which Polbeth United were currently using.
● Polbeth United: is community based and runs youth teams across various age groups. To release Hermand Park for the juniors new facilities were required at Polbeth for the team.
● sportscotland approval was needed for the proposals as their remit is to safeguard and enhance sporting facilities.
● Scottish Junior Football Association approval was needed for the new facilities for the juniors.
● West Lothian Council had to agree the terms of the sale of the Burngrange site to GPI.
● Housing Association interest in the remainder of the Burngrange site had to be secured and sale terms agreed to enable the provision of social housing.
● Also there were legal issues related to the relocation of the GP Practice from the old surgery, to the new medical centre, both owned by GPI, and the delivery of the project required collaboration with the council’s Social Policy, Sports and Outdoor Education, Legal and Planning Departments.
The coordination and leadership of the project fell to the council, as both playingfields are Council assets.
The solution The emerging solution included the following.
ASSET - Liverpool-10
● A licence to occupy enabling continued occupation until Hermand Park was ready and
● An agreement for lease allowed for the rent to remain unchanged until 30 June 2010 and then increase from 1st July 2010.
The difficulty was that the new home ground had to be in West Calder, had to be for the Club’s exclusive use, meet the specification agreed with the juniors and the rigid requirements of the Scottish Junior Football Association. This included a new pavilion with changing facilities for the home team, the away team and the match officials, and have a spectators’ stand and fencing around of the playing area. Hermand Park, the preferred site, was extensively used by Polbeth United. Fortunately local community groups agreed to the team relocating to Polbeth, where the facilities have been upgraded.
sportscotland is a Scottish government quango and a statutory consultee on all planning applications involving development of playing fields and remit in this case was to ensure that even though the number of football facilities remain static, the quality of them had to be improved.
Planning Permission for the new medical Centre, and the new pavilions was achieved through liaison with West Lothian planning department, external partners and sportscotland
Timing was critical as the football teams had to continue playing during the works. To facilitate this the council co- ordinated
● The negotiations and agreement of the legal documentation
● The move of Polbeth United to Polbeth in order to provide vacant possession of Hermand Park and so allow the new pavilion to be built
● On completion of the new facilities at Hermand Park these were handed over to the council and at the same time West Calder Juniors entered into a lease and relocated thus giving vacant possession of Burngrange
● This enabled the sale of part of site to GPI and completion of the new medical centre.
● The remaining 2.8 acres at Burngrange was subsequently sold in March 2009 to Castle Rock Housing Association
Tracey J W Thomson 41
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