Scarborough Athletic: Pitch repairs rocketed to ‘shocking’ £3m after survey
The cost of repairs to Scarborough Atheltic FC’s pitch rocketed to a ‘shocking’ £3m after a detailed survey, which has led the council to consider a ‘temporary relocation’ for the club.
North Yorkshire Council, which had been planning to replace the 3G playing surface at Scarborough Sports Village with an upgraded version at the end of the current season, had estimated that works would cost between £300,000 and £750,000.
Ahead of the resurfacing and remedial works, a detailed survey revealed serious and significant structural issues that will take “much longer to address” and could cost around £3 million to repair.
The council, which is under pressure from fans and a cross-party group of politicians to ensure that SAFC can compete in the upcoming season, has said it is considering various options, including the cost of a temporary relocation.
North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for leisure, Jo Ireland, said: “We understand how devastating this is for the club and the supporters.
“These serious and unexpected structural issues are complex, but we are working really hard with the club and other experts and agencies to understand the best options.”
Since the authority said last week that the pitch would not be repaired in time for the new season in August, almost 3,000 fans have signed an online petition calling for “immediate action to restore this vital community asset”.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Ms Ireland added: “However, we have already had technical experts on site looking at solutions to deal with the issues the survey has uncovered, and we are actively discussing these with the contractors who were originally involved.
“While addressing this, we need to keep in mind all legal advice linked to these quite shocking findings and also to understand exactly what costs might be involved in helping the club to relocate temporarily.
“The council and the club remain very much focussed on finding the best and most local short-term solution, and doing that as quickly as possible, while the longer-term issues are addressed.”