GRANT funding will still be provided to the community groups that are taking over Tregaron and Llandysul leisure centres, despite a mix-up over which grant scheme the money should come from.

Community groups have drawn up plans to take over the leisure facilities after the council looked to make savings by closing the facilities with the council agreeing to provide funding of £30,000 of a decreasing amount over the next three years.

But after initially asking the groups to apply to the authority’s Community Grant scheme, the council’s Cabinet has agreed that the money will now come from the Welsh Church Fund.

That will see both groups receive £15,000 in 2017/18, £10,000 in 2018/19 and £5,000 in 2019/20, with the council estimating that it will save around £100,000 a year by transferring the facilities.

However, a report admitted that the initial advice to the community groups had been to apply to the wrong grant scheme.

A report by Duncan Hall, the lifestyle services group accountant, said: “Both business cases were predicated on an assumption of grant funding being available from the council on a tapering basis of £30,000.

“Members had requested that both interested parties consider the council’s Community Grant scheme as the avenue to provide funding. The representatives of the Hamdden Caron Group and the Trustees of Canolfan Dwr Llandysul Aqua Centre have both now written to the council to explain that the funding requirements outlined in their business cases do not align with the criteria of the Community Grant scheme and that the level of funding available through the scheme together with its annual nature would not make their business plans viable."

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