New pavilion on its way as Council rubber-stamp StewMel lease plans.

Following Thursday's (21st March) meeting of the Edinburgh Council Finance & Budget Committee at the City Chambers, we are delighted to announce that the plans to grant a 60 year lease to Erskine Stewart’s Melville Governing Council re the Arboretum Road pavilion and playing field have been rubber stamped.

A Partnership Agreement (maybe we could call it The Arbo Agreement?!) will see Inverleith Rugby Club, Holy Cross Academicals Cricket Club & Standard Life Cricket Club, St Thomas of Aquin’s & Trinity Academy Schools and Spartans Youth FC as tenants.

Key elements of the plans, which we have been played an integral part in shaping, will see Stew Mel paying for the refurbishment of the presently derelict and iconic pavilion.  Costs are expected to be in the region of £500,000.  Initial drawings are pleasant with a balcony feature likely to be popular on a day where the mercury hits double figures!

 

 

 

This will of course see the dreadful portacabins (which cost the Council £10k pa over the best part of a decade) removed! 

When will this all happen? The timescales are to be finalised however it is hoped that everything could be ready mid-2014.  Fear not though fellow Crossers, the Green Room is safe! The existing Clubhouse will remain in situ and hopefully we'll be able to hand the biscuit tin around at both the Cricket and Rugby AGMs to buy a tin of paint to spruce it up inside!

 

Our thanks go to all key stakeholders who have worked together in the most impressive fashion to get this from a discussion in the Green Room to Council sign-off in less than 12 months.

 

The full report can be downloaded here

Arboretum plans set for Council Committee

Today's Edinburgh Evening News carried a story about Fortress Arbo entitled "Changed days for playing fields with pavilion plans".  Not the snappiest of headlines, but hey.... http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/latest-news/changed-days-for-playing-fields-with-pavilion-plans-1-2562767


As reported on this blog back in July, http://holycrosscricket.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/future-of-arboretum-discussed-at.html , Inverleith Cllr Lesley Hinds requested a report to be drawn up and put before the Council to discuss the future of Arbo.

Holy Cross Cricket Club are currently playing an integral part within the initial working party looking at the proposals and have, along with our Arbo cousins Inverleith Rugby, the Council and Stew Mel, been exploring the potential solutions that the report hopes to offer all stakeholders.

The meetings have been extremely constructive and both the Cricket and Rugby Club representatives have been enthused by the discussions held and progress made so far.

We await the outcome of next Tuesday's (9th Oct) Education, Children and Families Committee meeting where the Report will be discussed with the recommendation that the Council explore, with Stewart's Melville College, a partnership which would deliver improved sports facilities at Arbo.  The paper for the meeting can be found here:

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/2804/education_children_and_families_committee

Should the Committee, under Convenor Cllr Paul Godzik, decide to press ahead with the recommendations, the proposals would then go for final approval to the Finance Committee in November.

The old Pavillion (RIP) is a danger and the portacabins, at £10k a year, are a shambles.  We await the outcome of these meetings and will keep an open mind re ways to work with any partners willing to improve the facilities in order to encourage participation in sport at Arboretum.

The Club will be meeting officials in the very near future for further positive discussions. 

More news will be posted on the blog when it becomes available.