IMPROVEMENTS to two artificial sports pitches in Helensburgh and Lomond have moved closer after councillors agreed to transfer their operation to a new charitable trust.

The facilities at Kirkmichael in Helensburgh and Bendarroch Park in Garelochhead are on a list of seven all-weather playing surfaces in line for a much-needed upgrade.

At their final meeting before next week’s election, members of Argyll and Bute Council agreed to transfer the operation of the seven facilities across to the new Argyll and Bute Library and Leisure Charitable Trust.

In addition to the pitches in Helensburgh and Garelochhead, the investment programme also covers facilities in Tobermory, Innellan, Dunoon, Tarbert and Benderloch near Oban.

While the local authority maintains several all-weather sports pitches across Argyll and Bute, the seven facilities included in the new investment programme are not covered by existing maintenance and management arrangements, and are deemed in need of repair and refurbishment.

A council spokesman said: “A tender process will take place, following which improvement works will begin. The pitches will then be transferred over to the new trust.

“The transfer means the pitches will be maintained on an ongoing basis and a team will be established to undertake this work.

“This team will operate on a commercial basis, bidding for additional work and therefore creating extra revenue.”

Last September the council earmarked £750,000 to upgrade nine artificial sports pitches.

At that meeting councillors also approved a programme of work which, at Kirkmichael, will include replacement of the infill in the sand-filled synthetic grass surface, repair of seams and other damaged areas, re-aiming of the floodlights and an assessment of the condition of the timing clock.

In Garelochhead the more comprehensive work at Bendarroch Park, which was opened in April 2005, will involve the installation of new 3G synthetic grass, regulating the base of the surface, replacing the netting at the side of the pitch to stop stray balls, closing off loose fencing and supplying new chains and padlocks.

The facility’s LED floodlights will also be examined, and will be replaced if required.

The future of the pitches in Kirkmichael and Garelochhead, and elsewhere, was thrown into doubt last year after the historic management of the facilities was referred to the council’s internal audit team.

Concerns were aired at more than one council committee meeting last year about the way the facilities had been run since their opening more than a decade ago.

But September’s council meeting at which the investment programme was approved stated that no money would be released for the work until the internal audit of the facilities’ maintenance and management was complete.