Here's the latest Argus column by Caerphilly County Borough Council leader Cllr David Poole:

IT'S been a busy few weeks since I wrote my last column.

Over the last few weeks alone, the council’s cabinet have given the green light to a package of exciting schemes that will help transform services and bring benefits to our whole community in the future.

We’ve approved major schemes including the construction of a new Welsh Government-funded athletics track in Oakdale, more than half a million pounds of investment at Newbridge Leisure Centre and completion of a new all-weather 3G pitch at Blackwood Comprehensive School.

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We also gave approval for the development of a state of the art Children’s Centre in Pontllanfraith, major investment at Trinity Fields School and an innovative new mixed housing development at the site of the old council offices in Pontllanfraith.

Readers will be aware that cabinet also agreed the closure of Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre, in line with the council’s Sport and Active Recreation Strategy.

The strategy will shape the future of sport and leisure provision across the area for the next decade, and a key element of this will be consolidating existing leisure centres to four strategically located sites.

I fully understand the strength of feeling from members of the community about this decision, but the fact is that we can longer afford to run 10 leisure centres – many of which are ageing and in need of significant repair.

We have the most leisure centres of any council in Wales and it simply isn’t sustainable in the current financial climate.

On the subject of Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre, there has been much attention recently around one of our area’s football clubs, Ynysddu Welfare FC and the club’s discussions with the council over their pitch facilities.

It’s important that I clarify the suggestion made widely in the press and on social media that the club would have been made ‘homeless’ due to the pending closure of Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre.

The closure of Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre will not make any club ‘homeless’.

Leaving a sporting club without a home is certainly not the way we do business, and would go against the principles within our Sport and Active Recreation Strategy.

I’m pleased that the club, with our support, have reached an agreement to relocate back to the Welfare Ground at Ynysddu, and will pitch share with Ynysddu RFC.

We know the club have aspirations for the future and we’re keen to support them, as we are with other sporting clubs across the area, with facilities that will meet these aspirations within the confines of our available resources.

I appreciate the club apologising for the content and tone of some of their recent social media posts, and am pleased that the positive discussions have helped reach a resolution that’s agreeable for all concerned.

We wish the club the very best of luck with their future endeavours.