28/05/2026
I asked the Leader of the Council what was the reason for the (now 6 month) delay in building a 3G Community Pitch at Truro Sports hub, and who is responsible? Today I heard back from him..
Dear Dulcie The delay in the start date of the Truro Sports Hub project primarily relates to changes in the approach to appointing the pitch operator.
Following approval of the original business plan, Cornwall Council initially moved away from the proposed single-operator model under which Truro City Football Club would have been appointed and instead looked to pursue an open tender process. This change was driven by advice from the Council’s commercial team, who raised concerns regarding compliance with procurement regulations. As a result, the project timeline was impacted. The Football Foundation, as a key funder, requires confirmation of the operator before allowing construction to commence and therefore construction could not proceed in parallel with the operator procurement process as originally planned.
The Council has since revisited this position and returned to a single supplier approach. However, the time taken to review the procurement strategy and align with funder requirements has contributed to the delay in progressing the project on site.
In summary, the delay has arisen from the need to ensure procurement compliance and to satisfy Football Foundation requirements, alongside subsequent changes in approach to operator appointment. However current discussions with the Football Foundation have been both supportive and pragmatic and indicate potential for some recovery of programme.
Cllr. Leigh Frost - Leader Cornwall Council.
So here's my response considering I knew much of this already. Only because the info was 'leaked' to me not in response to my repeated questions. Council Officers & Consultants mismanaged the project. At best we can say one department didn't communicate with another, something that happens a lot at CC. The consequence of their mismanagement meant we almost lost £757k of funding from the Football Foundation and the delay means none of the local teams will be able to play on the pitch until October at the earliest. No-one will ever be held responsible because Civil Servants can c**k up as much as they like while we pay their wages. Surprisingly, over this whole saga, it’s been easier engaging with Truro City FC owners and management than is has with Council Officers and hired consultants who constantly put barriers in the way of delivering a great facility for local football clubs.
What have I learnt? what I already knew... that the Council’s good at applying for outside funding - it’s not good at delivering the projects the funding pays for!
I've thanked Cllr. Frost for following up on this for me and said I may come back to him nearer completion of the pitch, as I anticipate there may be further discussions needed around adherence to the agreed pitch usage arrangements.
I'll be keeping a very close eye on this matter going forwards.
