By Catherine Hunter
Copyright glasgowlive
The decision to approve a long-term lease for a sporting group to take over public pitches in Yoker has been praised by a councillor who says it shows commitment to minority sports.
Members of the contracts and property committee agreed yesterday to grant a 25-year lease for the Peterson Park playing fields and pavilion to the Peterson Park Playing Fields Trust through the People Make Glasgow Communities (PMGC) programme.
The PMGC programme allows local people, community groups, charities and other organisations to express an interest in having greater involvement in the management of local venues.
Councillor Malcolm Mitchell who represents the Garscadden/Scotstounhill, the ward in which the pitches are located says he is delighted that Peterson Park has been approved for a long-lease
Formerly a Glasgow Life facility, it closed in April 2020 as a result of the pandemic and was made available through PMGC – with the Trust applying for and successfully gaining a licence to occupy.
The 25-year lease will allow the Trust to deliver a wide range of sporting activities for the community including shinty, gaelic football and association football – fostering and growing these traditional sports to preserve their heritage and ensure future generations can play them.
Peterson Park CIC is the latest organisation to go through the council’s People Make Glasgow Communities process.
Councillor Mitchell said: “I am delighted that Peterson Park CIC has been approved for a long-lease.
“The organisation has already been operating on the site through a licence to occupy, but the security of tenure provided by the long lease will open them up to other funders who require this.
“With the Shinty and Gaelic football clubs forming part of this project, our commitment to minority sport in Glasgow is clear. I look forward to all three clubs enjoying continued success over the decades to come.
“Ensuring the community assets are put to use for the benefit of the community rather than becoming vacant and derelict is really important. I’m glad that this has been the case in Peterson Park.”
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