WOMBWELL Main Football Club received a huge boost to its ambitions of improving facilities and its junior teams after Barnsley Council’s cabinet members approved a 25-year lease of a sports pitch this week.
The Mitchell and Darfield Miners’ Welfare Ground is currently used by the junior teams at Wombwell Main, though the club are renting it from the council and are therefore unable to make any improvements to the site.
However the club was handed a boost on Wednesday as the ruling cabinet members agreed a 25-year lease of the site, pending approval by full council next week.
If the lease is passed at the meeting, the football club would have greater control over the maintenance and development of the site.
This significant move aims to support the long-term sustainability of the sports club and their plans to enhance upgrade the recreation ground and its facilities for the benefit of the wider community.
It would allow WMCSA CIO to apply for capital funding from the Football Foundation as part of the Pitch Power programme.
This funding would be used to finance security fencing and improve the playing surfaces.
The long-term aspirations of WMCSA CIO for this site include the provision of welfare and changing facilities and car parking, all of which would be subject to securing the necessary funding and consents.
Wombwell’s three councillors Brenda Eastwood, Robert Frost and James Higginbottom joined cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture Coun Robin Franklin and representatives from Wombwell Main at the ground following the approval on Wednesday.
Coun Franklin said: “This lease transfer is a key step towards a successful future for the Wombwell Main FC and the Mitchell and Darfield Miners’ Welfare Ground.
“The CIO is a valuable asset for the community, and this agreement will empower them to seek funding to make the investments necessary to enhance their facilities.
“It will not only benefit the sports club but also the wider community, providing improved recreational spaces for everyone to enjoy.”
The council say that supporting the maintenance and improvement of sports facilities aligns with the aims of its Principal Towns and Local Centres Programme to ensure all communities across the borough are thriving.
A spokesperson for Wombwell Main told the Chronicle: “We fully support the proposed lease and see it as a vital step toward securing the long-term future of the Mitchell and Darfield Miners’ Welfare Ground.
“Gaining a lease will allow us to improve facilities, enhance the playing surface, and continue providing safe, inclusive spaces for local sport.
“The ground will become a central hub for our junior football section as our home ground at Hough Lane only has one small junior football pitch.
“We’re proud to build on the site’s heritage and ensure it remains a place the whole community can enjoy.”
