Approval has been given at the Housing and Technical Resources Committee to enable East Kilbride Gymnastics Club to lease the centre with the intention of developing an application for a Community Asset Transfer (CAT).

The centre was among a number of assets that the board of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture agreed to withdraw from as part of their plans to balance their 2024-25 budget.

At this point, the application for Stewartfield Community Centre is not a formal CAT request but the club will be granted a 100% rent-reduction for a one-year lease to allow its CAT application to be developed.

The project is to create a gymnastics academy specifically focused on ASN and primary aged children and in doing so meet the demand the organisation has already created.

The main sports hall will be used exclusively for gymnastics with the smaller hall continuing to be available for a wider range of uses and community activity.

Councillor Davie McLachlan, Chair of Housing and Technical Resources at the Council, said: “This is great news for the community in keeping this valuable resource open, and it shows the value of the processes set up to address the lack of funding for premises like these across South Lanarkshire.

“The gymnastics club is well-known across the area for its work in, and with, the community and has a proven track record of developing and maintaining a facility, so the benefits that the use of Stewartfield Community Centre will let it bring are clear to see.

“This will also remove the costs of operating this asset from the Community Fightback Fund and make them available for other vital purposes.”

More information on Community Asset Transfers is available from the council website.

A previously agreed asset transfer by lease for the centre by Badminton Academy Social Enterprise (BASE) was withdrawn by the applicant.