New developments regarding athletics track

GEORGE NEWS - The proposed synthetic athletics track at the Rosemoor Stadium will highly likely go ahead, but it might only be ready in 2024.

The project has been in the pipeline for years. George Herald reported about the matter in March 2018.

Questions have recently been asked about the future of the project.

George Municipality communications officer Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe said the municipality is in the process of procuring a 5m strip from the adjacent school. After lengthy discussions with the school governing body (SGB), the SGB agreed to relinquish the 5m strip to the municipality.

According to Mangqwengqwe, the municipality is currently busy with the town planning matters related to this procurement and a land valuer must be appointed to determine the value of the land.

The Department of Public Works provided the municipality with the power of attorney to facilitate this process.

This project is intended to commence in the next financial year and as soon as the details regarding the IUDG process are finalised, it is the intention that the municipality will re-advertise this tender.

The planning of the facility was redone to ensure the future-readiness of the layout and the new plans include space for seating on the eastern side.

Discussion with the Department of Public Works and the Department of Education about any future upgrading is yet to be facilitated, but the intention is to get the first phase under construction as quickly as possible.

The tender will be advertised as soon as the details regarding the IUDG programme are known. This meeting is expected to happen next month, as the municipality needs to make final arrangements for project roll-out in the new financial year that starts on 1 July.

It is expected that the first phase of the project will be financed over the next two financial years (2023/24 and 2024/25) and a contractor will hopefully be appointed before December, subject to any IUDG requirements that have to be met.

The current phase focuses on the synthetic athletics track and fencing only. Future phases will include lighting and seating facilities, as funding becomes available. The additional space required for a future main pavilion is tied to the development of a suitable school in the nearby vicinity and is out of the municipality's hands.

The athletics track at the Rosemoor Stadium, photographed on Monday 15 May. Photo: Eugene Gunning