Athletics stadium avoids council cutbacks

Rotherham Council believes it can find enough savings from elsewhere in its budget to ensure that the closure of Herringthorpe Athletic Stadium will not be necessary in the near future.

The stadium has been operating on reduced hours as the authority, in common with councils across the region, tries to balance its budget as central government funding is reduced.

Rotherham Council was considering handing over the site to an alternative operator but was unable to find a suitable organisation. It will now approach organisations including Sport England for financial help.

David Burton, director of Rotherham Council’s Streetpride operation, said: “We have looked at alternative management arrangements, and whilst there has been some interest, there haven’t been any viable long term solutions.

“The impact of closing the stadium would be a great loss to all who use it and would seriously affect the development of sport, and in particular athletics, for people in the borough.”

He added: “The council’s leisure and green spaces team have worked hard to develop the services it provides.

“As a result of this we believe savings can be made from changes in how the budget is managed and from extra income generated.”

The decision to keep the stadium open was welcomed by the Rotherham Harriers Athletics Club, one of its principal users along with local schools.

Club secretary Steve Gaines said: “This is great news for everyone at the Club and for the local community. There are no other running tracks in the borough so to lose this facility would seriously damage the opportunities for people to take up what is one of the UK’s most successful sporting activities.”

Rotherham Council said the facility would be “reinstated” from April 1 although it was not immediately clear whether the stadium would return to its former opening hours.