AN OVERSPEND of £58,000 has incurred on the Caldicot 3G pitch project which has a final cost of £718,000.

Monmouthshire council agreed the budget of £660,000 in April 2014 after an increase in budget from the original £440,000 allocated. Monmouthshire cabinet will meet today (wed)in a special cabinet meeting to vote on the recommendations which propose the budget for the 3G pitch project be increased to £718,000.

The report recommends the money is contributed from the section 106 funding with £5,000 from Caldicot Comprehensive School and £53,000 from the Taylor Wimpey housing development at Church Road in Caldicot.

The pitch is currently being used by the school and the community. The only outstanding work left is final grass seeding to the landscaped areas.

The report highlights the issues from the project which includes unstable ground conditions, flooding and floodlighting and electrical connections. The developers discovered that the ground conditions were totally unstable and 95 per cent of the new pitch area had extremely damp conditions.

Councillor Tony Easson, member for Dewstow, Caldicot, said the decision to keep the ATP pitch was a sensible one but had concerns with the funding of the project.

He said: “We have got to have it – it is an incredible asset to the community but it could be funded differently in the long term. They can borrow money from the section 106 money in the short term and re-pay it back when it is appropriate.”

He added: “The unsuitable ground they say was unforeseeable – they will learn from that for the building of the new school.”

The overspend was £71,000 but a reduction of £13,000 for internal fees relating to the design and supervision of the contract have lowered it to £58,000.

The cost of the remedial works to stabilise the ground conditions cost £56,000,and flood remedial works cost £15,000.

The report includes potential additional works including £19,504 to improved site drainage, £25,500 to upgrade electrical supply and £3,068 to install security fencing.

The pitches are regarded as a regional facility for all schools in south Monmouthshire and the council estimate an income target of £30,000 for the new 3G pitch in its first full year of operation.

A sum of £35,000 originally set for improvements to community facilities in Magor and Undy were also been drafted into the project last year.

Cllr Frances Taylor, member for Mill ward, Magor with Undy, said: “It is a great shame that it doesn’t seem to have benefited from robust planning from the outset. There have been quite a few issues and therefore the number initially allocated wasn’t enough and had to be taken from elsewhere.”