Item 8 - Pride in Place Impact Fund allocation
West Dunbartonshire Council · 4 February 2026
Back to Infrastructure, Regeneration & Economic Development Committee — 4 February 2026 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by Chief Officer (Regulatory & Regeneration) Infrastructure, Regeneration & Economic Development Committee 4 February 2026 Subject: Pride in Place Impact Fund allocation 1 Purpose 1.1 This report seeks Members’ approval for allocation of funding from Pride in Place Impact Fund. 2 Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that Committee: I. Notes that the Council has been allocated £1.5M of Pride in Place Impact Fund in 2025/26 and 2026/27 II. Approves the allocation of £0.240M to Holm Park improvement, Clydebank III. Approves the allocation of £0.060M to Western Titans BMX Club track improvements, Clydebank IV. Approves the allocation of £0.600M to create new destination playparks in Alexandria (Christie Park) and Dumbarton (Dumbarton Common) V. Approves the allocation of £0.600M to community grants for capital projects which meets the aim and objectives of the fund. VI. Authorises the commencement of procurement processes relating to the projects as appropriate and the subsequent award of contracts by the Chief Officer: Regulatory and Regeneration. and: VII. Agrees that in the event of any project not appearing to be deliverable within the required timescale or requirements of the funding conditions then the Chief Officer: Regulatory and Regeneration may substitute an alternative project following consultation with the Convenor of IRED Committee. 3 Background 3.1 In September 2025 the UK Government announced Pride in Place Impact Fund, which is part of the wider long-term Pride in Place funding programme. The Council has been allocated £1.5M of capital funding over Financial Years 2025/26 & 2026/27. The Pride in Place Programme is a ITEM 8
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continuation of the Neighbourhood Plan under which up to £20m has been awarded to Clydebank. The Pride in Place Impact Fund has 3 objectives: a. Community spaces: creating, extending, improving or refurbishing existing community facilities and enabling community organisations to take control or ownership of underused but valued local assets. b. Public spaces: enhancing the physical environment in public spaces. c. High street and town centre revitalisation: making these areas more attractive and welcoming places where people congregate and which encourage economic activity. 3.2 Pride in Place Impact Fund is a two-year non-competitive Programme. 2025/26 allocation has already been received, and 2026/27 allocation is expected in Spring 2026. All funding has to be spent or at least legally committed by the end of March 2027. The first report to the UK Government which will outline the funding allocation and delivery timescales is due on 16 February 2026. 3.3 The Council which will act as he accountable body for the funding should work in collaboration with Member of Parliament (MP) and other stakeholders to identify the interventions that will deliver the needs of the local residents and will deliver most benefits to the local area. 4 Main Issues 4.1 In considering the allocation of the funding, officers reviewed feedback from the recent community consultations, particularly in terms of their local need and ambitions, and consulted with the MP for West Dunbartonshire Douglas McAlister. The proposed project options were also assessed against the criteria and objectives of the Pride in Place Impact Fund to ensure compliance. 4.2 The proposed funding allocation is outlined below. £240k - Holm Park improvements, Clydebank £60k - Western Titans BMX Club track improvements, Clydebank £300k - Destination Playpark in Christie Park, Alexandria £300k - Destination Playpark on the Common, Dumbarton £600k - Community grants, Council-wide
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4.3 Holm Park is an important community asset which is under lease from and owned by West Dunbartonshire and is managed by Holm Park Facilities. It is a home football ground used by both Clydebank Football Club (the Club) and Yoker Athletic. Community engagement undertaken in Autumn 2025 for the Pride in Place Programme in Clydebank mentions the importance of Clydebank FC in boosting community pride and bringing all ages of the town together. Clydebank Football Club are currently a leader of the Scottish Lowland Football League. If they finish in 1st place they will be promoted to the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) for 2026/27 season. A requirement of entry is for the Club's facilities to have a Scottish Football Association (SFA) bronze licence. This bronze licence must be confirmed by March 2026, or alternatively convincing evidence must be provided to the SPFL that the licence status will be achieved and in place by the start of the new season in August 2026. The Club has funding in place for construction of a new spectator stand. The Pride in Place Impact Fund grant funding of £0.240M will enable the club to upgrade the pitch and floodlighting and install a stand-alone referee facility. All these measures are required to achieve the SFA Bronze licence and will benefit the wider community and other users of the facility. 4.4 Western Titans BMX Club is a small volunteer-run BMX club based in Clydebank. They host a number of racing events every year and have nationally ranked riders amongst their members, 6 of whom have qualified to compete in the World Championships in Brisbane in 2026. The race track which is open all year round, 24/7, allows children from the local community and further afield to visit the track, stay exercised, and be diverted from negative influences such as youth disorder and anti social behaviour. Due to continuous use the track has deteriorated and could face closure in the near future, unless the necessary upgrades can be undertaken. A grant of up to £0.060M will enable the club to upgrade the track. 4.5 New destination playparks in Alexandria and Dumbarton will create a modern, attractive and bespoke play area for the local families as well as a potential to draw visitors from further afield. The playparks will cater for both younger and older children and include provision for children with additional needs. Long terms strategy will include improvements to pedestrian links between the playparks and the town centres of Dumbarton and Alexandria. This has the potential to encourage additional visits to the town centre, contribute to increased overall footfall and dwell time and support town centre regeneration. 4.6 Community Grants will be awarded through a competitive process to local groups and organisations, with the aim of supporting delivery of capital
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projects which meet aims and objectives of the Pride in Place Impact Fund. It is envisaged that the grants would be advertised in March 2026, with the applications deadline in late April 2026. All applications will be assessed against the funding criteria, with deliverability within the funding timescales being the lead criteria to ensure use of funds are maximised. The Regeneration and Communities Teams have recent experience of running a community grants scheme along similar lines with the former Place Based Investment Fund grants. 4.7 The Regeneration team will monitor the progress of the projects to ensure that all funding is legally committed by the end of March 2027. If there is a significant risk that some funding is not legally committed by the deadline, it will be re-allocated to other quick-win projects. The decision on which alternative projects to fund will be delegated the Chief Officer Regulatory & Regeneration following consultation with the Convenor of IRED. A report will then follow to a future meeting of the IRED Committee for information. 6 People Implications 6.1 Existing staff within Greenspace team will deliver the Playpark projects. Existing staff within Regeneration and Communities will develop and implement the Community Grants, and support will be required at key stages from other Services, including Procurement, Legal and Finance. Holm Park improvements and Titan’s track improvements will be delivered by the grantees, with reports submitted to the Council at key stages to ensure compliance. 7 Financial & Procurement Implications 7.1 Pride in Place Impact Fund is new capital funding available to West Dunbartonshire Council. The Council is responsible for ensuring expenditure is spent in accordance with all applicable legal requirements. Where the funding is distributed as grants, the Council should ensure that procurements achieve value for money. 8 Risk Analysis 8.1 All projects are subject to a range of risks that may impact on them being delivered on time and on budget. In addition there is a higher risk of non- compliance for externally led projects. For Council led projects risk will be mitigated by availability of a suitable level of resource to progress the projects. For externally led projects, risk will be mitigated by ensuring that any grantees
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have suitable experience and resources to deliver the projects, through Grant conditions dictating stringent drawdown criteria and through monitoring the development and delivery of each project to ensure compliance with the funding terms and conditions. 8.2 Where it appears likely that any project may not be able to deliver the outcomes in line with timing, funding or grant conditions, the Chief Officer Regulatory and Regeneration may, after consultation with the Convenor of IRED, substitute the project for another which is likely to be able to comply. 9 Equalities Impact Assessment 9.1 Screening and impact assessments will be carried out on specific projects as they are further developed. 10 Environmental Sustainability 10.1 Environmental sustainability will be considered when developing individual projects to reflect the aims of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy. 11 Consultation 11.1 Proposed allocations of funding respond directly to feedback from recent community consultations, and address local needs and ambitions. 11.2 Legal and Finance Officers have been consulted on the contents of this report. 12 Strategic Assessment 12.1 The Council has agreed its four main strategic priorities for 2022 – 2027. The allocation of the PP Impact Funding is consistent with the following priorities: Our Communities: Resilient and Thriving Our Economy: Strong and Flourishing Alan Douglas Chief Officer: Regulatory and Regeneration Date: 12th January 2026
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Person to Contact: Alan Douglas Alan.Douglas@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendix: 1 - Pride in Place EIA - Holm Park improvements grant 2 - Pride in Place EIA - Western Titans BMX improvements grant 3 - Pride in Place EIA - Destination Playparks in Christie Park, Alexandria & Dumbarton Common, Dumbarton 4 - Pride in Place EIA - Community Grants Fund Background Papers: None Wards Affected: All