AS THE cabinet member responsible for the operation and management of Jenner Park stadium I would like to explain why in order to increase sports participation and cut the cost of a loss making facility we have taken the decision to replace the current grass pitch with a high specification 3G artificial surface.

Readers will be aware that austerity measures are affecting all councils in Wales. The Vale of Glamorgan Council is required to save £25m over the next three years. In order to ensure we are able to continue to deliver the services that we know our residents rely on, the way in which every service is operated is currently being scrutinised.

In 2013/2014 the operating cost of Jenner Park was £205,000. In 2014/2015 it was £185,000. This is simply unsustainable and a change to the way that the stadium is operated is urgently required to avoid the risk of its closure.

The stadium currently has two main users; Barry Town United, who pay £288.50 per game plus additional charges for floodlighting (a minimum of £4327.50 per season), and Barry and Vale Harriers, who pay £1,100 per year for two training session per week in the summer season and one per week at other times of the year.

The only way to safeguard the future of Jenner Park is to increase the number of people that use the stadium in order to increase the amount of income that it generates.

Despite the significant cost of maintaining the grass pitch at Jenner Park it cannot be used on a daily basis and is often out of use for several weeks each year. This means that opportunities to get more people using the facility are greatly limited.

The greatest income opportunity for the stadium, and the best way to ensure its future, is through the playing of football - at all levels. This is why we are installing the surface that can best facilitate this, an artificial 3G pitch.

We have, however, done everything possible to ensure Jenner Park can remain the home for athletics in the Vale. Indeed the possibility of introducing rugby to the stadium was considered but discounted due to the fact that this would have necessitated the removal of the running track, something we would not contemplate.

The new Jenner Park will retain its running track and all track and jumping events will continue. Although hammer throwing, which has not taken place at the stadium for many years due to the damage caused to the grass pitch, cannot take place on a 3G surface, shot putt will continue as before. The only two athletics disciplines currently practiced at Jenner Park that will be affected are javelin and discus, though specialised equipment can be used to train technique, such as a rubberised discus. That said, the Council is more than happy to consider relocating these two throwing events to an alternative location in Barry.

I have already met with representatives of Barry and Vale Harriers and we will be writing to them shortly to set up a further meeting where all these options can be considered. Our aim is to protect the interests of our current users as best we can in light of the business decision to change the pitch surface at Jenner Park.

Whilst income is important, so too is increasing the level of active participation in sport. The improved stadium will be available for all to use, as will the four new 3G five-a-side pitches that will be installed at the Colcot Sports Centre as part of this project. New teams and organisations will be actively encouraged to use both facilities.

Funding has also been identified to undertake refurbishment work to the clubhouse and we hope that this, allied to the new pitch, will restore the stadium to its rightful position within the local community and the wider Vale as both a sporting and social centre.

While I do understand the concerns raised by Barry and Vale Harriers, I hope this letter spells out that we as a Council are trying to find a solution that not only allows athletics to grow in the Vale, but also promotes sporting activity on a wider scale, while still helping us to make unavoidable savings.

I would encourage all readers with an interest in sport in the Vale to read full details of our plans for Jenner Park and the rationale that underpinned the decision in the cabinet reports of June 16, 2014, April 13, 2015 and May 11, 2015. These are available on the Council’s website.

Cllr Gwyn John

Cabinet Member for Visible and Leisure Services

Vale of Glamorgan Council