The council owns 54 pavilions at various locations across West Lothian. 37 of those pavilions are currently leased out to a range of local community clubs and organisations, who successfully manage the pavilions and operate them on a day-to-day basis. Those 37 pavilions are unaffected.
However, earlier this year, community clubs, third sector organisations and other interested parties were invited to find out more about leasing the remaining 17 pavilions located across West Lothian, which would potentially close by 31 March 2024 if leases were not in place. The usage figures for these pavilions was analysed and confirmed as being very low in many cases.
It has been agreed by the Council Executive that nine pavilions are no longer required and that they should be disposed of, either by demolishing the buildings or marketed for commercial sale or lease. In the majority of instances, there has been no expressions of interest received from interested parties looking to lease the pavilions and/or the properties are in poor condition.
The pavilions that will be disposed of are:
- Holmes Park, Holmes Park Gardens, Broxburn
- Strathbrock Place, King George V Park, Uphall
- Station Road, Station Road (south of the A89), Broxburn
- Church Street, Broxburn
- Craigshill, Maree Walk
- Kettlestoun Mains, Listloaning Road, Linlithgow
- Greenrigg, Polkemmet Road
- Seafield, Redhouse Road
- Harrison Hall, Jubilee Road, Whitburn
It has also been agreed that council officers will continue discussions with individual community groups over the potential lease of the remaining eight pavilions, where expression of interest have been received and where lease discussions are progressing. These are:
- Meadowpark, Glasgow Road, Bathgate
- Uphall Station, Marrfield Terrace
- Limefield Football Pavillion, Chapleton Drive, Polbeth
- Woodpark, Upper Bathville, Armadale
- Westrigg, Park Road, Westrigg
- Redmill, Main Street, East Whitburn
- Blaebery Park, Raeburn Crescent, Whitburn
- KGV Park Pavilion, Baillie Street, Whitburn
A further report will be brought back to a future Council Executive with an update on these discussions, including consideration of declaring these eight properties surplus to requirements if no agreement has been reached.
Leader of West Lothian Council, Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: "The majority of pavilions are leased successfully to local groups and this will continue. It is certainly our hope that a further eight pavilions will be leased by local groups in the near future. Officers have sought to find a future for all the pavilions, but it's clear through the work carried but that there are no viable options for a small number of the pavilions."
West Lothian Council has significant and sustained budget pressures caused by increasing costs and insufficient levels of Scottish Government grant funding. The Scottish Government provides the council with 80% of its budget and grant from the Government is less than required for the council to deliver essential local services. This results in a budget gap. The council is legally required to balance its budget - therefore the council has to reduce spending and change some local services. West Lothian Council must make savings of approximately £39.4 million pounds with £15.5 million of savings required in 2023/24.
A number of budget saving measures have been approved which will allow the council to balance its budget. Savings measures overall will be implemented over the next five years.
Councillor Fitzpatrick added:
"Across Scotland, councils are reducing some services that they previously provided due to enormous budget constraints and we are no different in West Lothian. Given the scale of the financial challenges that West Lothian Council faces, and as part of our budget strategy over the next five years, a wide range of savings measures have been approved, including the consolidation of the sports pavilions.
"The council has worked in partnership with local community groups to enable them to manage their operations at the majority of pavilions in West Lothian.
"Given the budget pressures faced by the council, and our legal obligations to obtain best value, it isn't appropriate to continue to maintain a small number of pavilions that we know are not well used and require investment and upgrades. We need to ensure that the budget that we do have safeguards other local services and priorities."
