Elgin City’s chairman is calling on Moray Council to act over plans to create a new £500,000 all-weather sports facility in the town.
Moray Council will meet next month to discuss where the new facility should be built with funding being provided by a local businessman who does not wish to be identified.
An existing site at Deanshaugh, where five grass football pitches were available until they fell in disrepair eight years ago, has been touted as a possible site. These pitches were repeatedly subjected to flooding but the area has now been protected by Elgin’s new flood alleviation plans.
However, Elgin City say that the ideal site would be alongside their Borough Briggs ground and if selected would offer greater accessibility and security.
The club’s chairman, Graham Tatters, said: “It is for the council to decide what is best – but we would make the point that the pitch would get more use at Borough Briggs.
“That is because it is in a more central location and because we have so many junior footballers already on our books. In addition, it would be ready for people to play on up to two years quicker because the site does not need as much tidying up.
“It would also cost taxpayers less because we have CCTV cameras and would be able to look after it without the need to pay for extra security.”
A Moray Council spokesman said that the local authority were actively looking to develop football facilities in Elgin and would consider all proposals.