Councillors on the council’s Housing and Technical Resources Committee agreed that the facility at Queens Drive in Hamilton, which is currently managed by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC), should be leased to Eddlewood Football Association.

This formal Community Asset Transfer request granted under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, will allow the association to develop the pavilion and the pitches on a phased basis with long term plans for a community hub, a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), additional parking and a 4G all-weather floodlit pitch.

The lease has been approved subject to the terms and conditions set out in Section 5 of the committee report.

Council Davie McLachlan, the chair of the committee, said: “I am delighted that this proposal has now been approved, allowing this organisation to continue to provide sports and football facilities, as well as other activities for the benefit of the local community.

“The lease will enable the association to invest in the pavilion and pitches including drainage improvements to the grass pitches to help the club play throughout the year.

“I am delighted that this can now progress thanks to a recently successful funding application to the council-administered Renewable Energy Fund.”

Eddlewood Football Association will receive £40,000 of funding, with match funding for the project coming from local company Procast, with the Whitelee Windfarm contributing the money into the REF.

You can find out more about the REF on the council website.