ROSYTH’S junior football club will move to the Fleet Grounds after an agreement was reached with Fife Council.

The South West Fife Sports Partnership (SWFSP) have agreed a lease arrangement with the council to create and run a sports hub on the site and the town’s football team will also be based there.

The Fleet Grounds were sold to the council by the Ministry of Defence in 2014 for £133,000 and the partnership was created with a view to lease the land and turn it into a multi-sport facility as part of a three-phase development.

Councillors last year backed the plans by granting £400,000 to create a new 3G artificial pitch, three full-size grass pitches, a seven-a-side pitch, floodlighting, refurbishment of the pavilion, access improvements and additional car parking.

SWFSP confirmed that a 66-year lease had been agreed and that the tender to install the £200,000 surface will be put out to tender by the council with work on site – including upgrades to the pavilion, maintenance of the grounds and creation of parking – set to begin next month in phase one.

In August, councillors accepted an offer to sell Rosyth Juniors’ existing Recreation Park home on Admiralty Road. That would see a supermarket built on the pitch with the rest of the land likely to become housing.

Although one of the partnership’s stated aims was to have all of Rosyth’s football teams, of all ages, based at the Fleet Grounds, initial plans did not include the juniors side. But now the move is set to go ahead.

Davie Ogg, Rosyth’s chairman, said: “It has been agreed that we will be moving to the Fleet Grounds and what we’re looking at now is getting the location sorted in terms of where our pitch will be.

"We need to have a meeting now with all the parties involved and then get an agreement with the partnership on where we will be located.

“We would be looking at realistically playing at the Fleet Grounds for season 2017-18. I am pleased this is moving forward because it has dragged on for four or five years.”

Dunfermline Athletic Girls will join Rosyth in basing themselves at the Fleet Grounds and Jon Harrison, SWFSP chair, said: “We had a meeting with the council on Friday and the new Astroturf pitch is being put out to tender by them and should be announced at the end of the month. The pavilion needs to be adapted for disabled access and facilities but the council will be doing that for us.

“The juniors are moving and are in discussions with the council over funding for their pitch, changing facilities and everything they need. Their present facility is on its last legs and I think work will start in the spring.

"We hope to have the grass pitches ready by the summer.”

Rosyth Labour councillor Mike Shirkie said: “The heads of terms and lease has been agreed and the contracts for phase one have been released.

"I am expecting work to start on site in February with the installation of the pitch, pavilion, parking areas and refurbishment round about. It is good news and great to see phase one happening but we’ve still got work to do in terms of match-funding for phase two. 

“There is an agreement in principle with the SFA and juniors to take them up there and I am delighted that that is happening. I am extremely delighted that we can see tangible evidence that this is going forward and we can send a message to the people of Rosyth and West Fife that we are serious and want to create a sports hub to be proud of.

“We won’t rest on our laurels because we want to bring more sports in phase two.”

One of those could include tennis in the shape of indoor tennis courts, with Cllr Shirkie continuing: “Myself and Councillor Mark Hood have investigated the possibility of indoor tennis courts, and if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

"We are trying to get Judy Murray involved but there have only been initial discussions so far. We want to encourage youngsters and, with the success of the Murray brothers, we feel the time is right to maximise that potential.”

Cllr Hood, executive committee member and chair of Fife Sports Partnership, added: “I’m pleased that the terms of a lease have been agreed with South West Fife Community Sports Partnership for the Fleet Grounds facility. The lease will also provide Rosyth Juniors with the opportunity to relocate there. 

“Work is progressing to replace the old pitch. The council is providing funding for a new synthetic turf pitch and we’ll see a contractor start work on this early in the New Year.

"Weather permitting, it is expected that the pitch will be completed and ready for use by the end of March. 

“The upgrade of the pitch will allow the Sports Partnership to offer a new, top-quality, community sporting facility for south west Fife residents and clubs alike.

“In addition to the new pitch, work will also be undertaken to improve access to the pavilion for people with disabilities and offer accessible car parking.”