MSP hits out at council’s Penicuik pitch battle own goal

Local MSP Christine Grahame has criticised the council for its failure to proceed with agreed improvements to the council-owned 3G pitch rented by Penicuik Athletic Youth Football Club (PAYFC).

The petition launch in August 2019. Louise Shepherd (Club Development Officer at PAYFC,) Cllr Debbi McCall, Christine Grahame MSP and Colin Pryde (PAYFC chairman) alongside players and volunteers on the troubled 3G astro pitch in Penicuik.

The council agreed to upgrade the pitch, which is also used by Penicuik High School, in March 2019 following a petition by the local community. This came after a pitch report commissioned by the Scottish Football Association in January 2019 found it to be ‘poor’ and ‘extensive repair and replacement required’.

The capital funding budget was agreed in August 2019 and the club issued statements celebrating the decision and the positive impact it would have for local young people.

However, since then no discernible progress has been made. The club has stated that its emails querying this have gone unanswered, while Ms Grahame and Midlothian MP Owen Thomson (both SNP) also tried to get a response on this to no avail. Ms Grahame is now considering making a complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman due to the failure to even acknowledge emails on the subject.

A photo taken in August 2019 of the council owned 3G pitch rented by Penicuik Athletic Youth Football Club.

Ms Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, said: “This situation is frankly outrageous and I cannot understand the council’s complete inaction on this. The project was agreed, budgets were agreed and all was lined up to go ahead, but over 18 months after the council agreed to the petition to upgrade the pitch we’re no further forward and nobody has been able to give any reason or explanation as to why.

“In that time the pitch has of course continued to deteriorate further. The council are now completely ignoring my correspondence on this, as they are with the club itself and indeed the local councillor and the local MP.

“In the absence of any engagement on this issue I can see little option but to report it to the Public Services Ombudsman, as to fail to even acknowledge correspondence on the issue is a complete dereliction of duty.

“PAYFC is a fantastic asset to the local community and has a hugely positive impact on the lives and wellbeing of local young people – the councils obstruction on putting in place the improvements agreed to is failing them more than anyone.”

Midlothian Council blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for the delay and insisted local politicians were contacted.

A council spokesperson said: “As a result of Midlothian Council’s compliance with the Scottish Government’s guidance on lockdown during the Covid pandemic, no construction or organised sport has been permitted for the major part of this year. During that time, the council was responding to the delivery of critical services to our communities and vulnerable residents. That position has been advised previously to elected representatives.

“While there is capital funding for the astropitch resurfacing at Penicuik, the immediate priority in the council’s capital planning for the post-emergency period has been towards restarting the local economy and providing employment and job creation through the housebuilding and school building programmes.”