Over £2m of funding for Keighley Cougars stand rebuilt scrapped
Keighley Cougars were due to receive £2.25m in Keighley Towns Fund cash to rebuild the Danny Jones stand and create new facilities at Cougar Park.
OVER £2 million in planned funding will no longer be handed over to a local rugby club – Bradford Council have announced.
Keighley Cougars were due to receive £2.25m in Keighley Towns Fund cash to rebuild the Danny Jones stand and create new facilities at Cougar Park.
But despite the money being set aside over four years ago, the funding was never handed out.
This week it has been announced that the club will not be getting the funding, with the Reform leadership of Bradford council saying the Cougars “have not been able to provide sufficient information to demonstrate the viability of their proposed project.”
Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore said he was “absolutely furious” with the news.
In 2019 the then Conservative Government announced that Keighley would be one of dozens of areas across the UK to receive at least £25m through its “towns fund” – a scheme that would see money awarded to areas to boost regeneration.
A Towns Fund board made up of local business leaders, public figures and politicians would be set up in each area to allocate where the cash should be spent, and the Keighley Towns Fund board made the Keighley Cougars project one of their priorities.
The board’s meetings are not held in public, but at the most recent meetings the Cougars project has been deemed “at risk” because of “due diligence and deliverability issues.”
Mr Moore, who is a member of the Towns Fund boards, raised the delay in the funding being awarded the Cougars in Parliament earlier this week.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Bradford Council, which is responsible for distributing the funding, for a response to Mr Moore’s speech.
Councillor Andrew Judson (Reform, Keighley West) and Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Economy, Regeneration and Planning said: “Following the initial prioritisation of this proposal in the overall Towns Fund bid, we have been working closely with the club leadership to explore every possible option for them to meet the assurance criteria needed to access Towns Fund support.
“Successful Towns Fund bids do have to meet a number of required standards to ensure that the use of public funding is reasonable.
“Unfortunately, the Cougars have not been able to provide sufficient information to demonstrate the viability of their proposed project and because of this, the funding cannot be provided.
“We wish the club well and remain committed to working with them where possible to realise their ambitions on and off the pitch in the years ahead.”
Mr Moore was informed about the news yesterday, and says the Council told him they are “are looking to reprioritise the funds” the other projects.
The MP said: “I am absolutely furious that we have reached this point.
“The Cougars are one of the beating hearts of our town. They are far more than a rugby league club. They bring our community together, inspire young people and are a source of immense pride for our town. Cougar Park is used by many others and therefore it is right that we have a sporting facility which is fit for many generations to come.”
“Over £2m was allocated to the redevelopment of the Danny Jones Stand by the previous Conservative government. It followed a detailed Towns Investment Plan which was supported by many locally and subsequently approved by central government back in 2022, before the funds were to be distributed via the Keighley Towns Fund, with Bradford Council having final signoff.
“It is simply outrageous that the Council has now said they will not be releasing the funds to the Cougars after four years of dither and delay, and will instead be reallocating the funds to other projects.
“Where on earth is the local political leadership at the Council? Why has the new Reform administration signed this decision off after years of ineptitude and sluggish conduct by the previous Labour administration.
“I am calling on Bradford Council to immediately reverse their decision and release the money to Cougar Park.
“We know that when sport does well locally, so does our town. This investment is critical.”
Keighley Cougars have been contacted for a comment.
On Monday, after Mr Moore raised the issue in Parliament, the club shared his comments on Facebook, saying: “We’re grateful to our MP Robbie Moore for taking the fight for the new Cougars stand to the House of Commons.
“Robbie worked tirelessly to achieve the funding for a new Cougars stand, with a range of incredible facilities which will be fantastic for the whole community.
“Keighley deserves and needs these new facilities.”