Angry West Lothian weightlifters fear losing their home for second time

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Weightlifters in West Lothian fear they may be left homeless for the second time under plans to hand over a community pavilion to a popular local football club.A community consultation is being run to help decide the future of Meadowpark Pavilion in Bathgate.But the 14 members of a Bathgate weightlifting club fear the door has already closed for them on use of the sports pavilion where they currently train.They fear lease of the pavilion to Bathgate Thistle Community Football Club looks certain given the number of players more than 500 - almost a fifth of them girls and women.The pavilion sits at the heart of three pitches regularly used by the club.The weightlifters and the town’s Community Centre Management Association who have asked to be considered as a leaseholder claimed they have been snubbed by the council in preference to the football club.The council says the facility, only regularly used by the weightlifting club, is “underused”.A statutory eight-week community consultation over plans to lease the pavilion to Bathgate Thistle Community Football Club (BTCFC) was approved by Council Executive because the Pavilion is considered Common Good property.But Steven Kenny from Bathgate’s Amateur Weightlifting Club (BAWC) and the Community Centre Management Committee returned to the Council Executive to renew his plea for the club to take on the lease.Without it there is nowhere else suitable in the town for the club to train, he told councillors.The weightlifters have used the pavilion since 2011 and this week pledged that they were willing to share with all community groups in the town.Meadowpark is recognised by the council as Common Good property and the pavilion was specifically built to complement the adjacent