FUNDING BLOW FOR ARDENCONNEL FIELD

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Categories: News

Brendan O’Hara MP
“Latest set-back will further fuel scepticism in the benefits of Faslane”:coulport

Only a matter of months ago, the townsfolk of Helensburgh and Lomond welcomed the news of a major £5m investment into the waterfront and leisure facilities announced in the former Chancellors last budget.
Shortly thereafter, we find out this cash was not ring-fenced and simply freed up cash for other projects, welcome indeed, but cynical political game-playing with the Helensburgh Community.
Only weeks later, we now find out that despite expecting a box-ticking exercise, the funding for the redevelopment of Ardenconnel Field is now on ice indefinitely. The cause: lack of funds. The source: the Ministry of Defence. And again, less than a year since the former Chancellor announced a £500m investment at the base.
Commenting, local MP Brendan O’Hara:
“I have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer citing my disappointment in this latest setback for community facilities. I have asked him to find a means of addressing this shortfall. The communities around the base deserve to see some tangible benefit from being sited so close to the UK’s nuclear deterrent programme.”broken
“You could be forgiven for any scepticism about the priorities of central government funding, given the last twelve months of non-promises that have resulted in zero delivery but this latest blow for local amenities is one too far. This project is intended to be a sports facility that could have significant benefit for the local community, particularly at a time when we’re all trying to promote the benefit of an active lifestyle. Once again, we see a militarily useless nuclear arsenal taking priority over the people it is cited to defend.”