£500,000 boost for the Recre

By Martin Morgan

Last updated 12:14, Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Whitehaven's Recreation Ground is set for a £500,000 bounty after club bosses agreed a new 50-year lease on the stadium.

Sellafield operator British Nuclear Group pledged the cash in May 2006 towards the cost of a new 1,000-seat Popular Side grandstand to bring the Recre up to Super League standard.

The donation was later thrown in to jeopardy, however, over how it should be spent, with Haven’s potential partners wanting it to fit in to the Pow Beck regeneration scheme, of which the Recre redevelopment was the planned centrepiece.

But with new club bosses agreeing a landmark 50-year lease with their landlords, Whitehaven Miners, revealed last week by News & Star Sport, it has now emerged that the Recre will scoop the entire £500,000.

“It’s earmarked for the development of the stadium,” confirmed Paul Crooks, programme development manager of Westlakes Renaissance, which is heading the Pow Beck project.

Crooks stressed the cash was destined for the stadium development, as opposed to the rugby league club.

And while he declared that the new-look Recre did not necessarily have to be a community facility, he is keen to see it is utilised outside traditional RL hours.

Crooks is open-minded about what the timescale for the development, and meetings with Haven bosses and fellow partners Copeland Council are imminent to map out proposals for the Recre.

“We have no fixed criteria, apart from high-quality,” he added.

The £500,000, while a huge boost, will clearly not fund the entire Recre project, and further investment will be required.