Brussels releases over 45 million euros for local sports infrastructure

Brussels releases over 45 million euros for local sports infrastructure

The Brussels Government has given the green light for the launch of the 2018-2020 call for tenders for projects to create and renovate sports infrastructure in the capital’s communes. The call for tenders, approved on Thursday, covers a total budget of 46.8 million euros, to be used to finance projects over the next three years, Secretary of State Fadila Laanan (Socialist Party) explained on Friday.

Laanan, who is in charge of sports infrastructure, said that since the start of the current legislature, 87 communal projects had received support to the sum of 26 million euros all told. The budget has now almost been doubled and the procedure for obtaining subsidies has been simplified.

“Communication between administrations has improved and budgets have been increased,” Laanan said, “and communes can even receive 100% support if certain criteria are met. My priorities are mainly providing better access for people with handicaps, expending the opening times of infrastructures, and compliance with energy and environmental standards for buildings.”

The Brussels Government has also approved the launch of a second call for tenders, also for equipments meant for community facilities, with a 1.3-million-euro budget for 2018.

Since its first edition in 2015, the regional government has already supported 67 local initiatives for a total of 3.56 million euros. These include the purchase of fitness equipment, street workout bars, and laying down football fields or basketball courts in the four corners of the city. “I wish to make sure that every inhabitant can engage in sports close to his/her house,” Fadila Laanan said. “It is therefore essential to develop smaller infrastructures in the neighbourhoods, in addition to large-scale ones.” 


The Brussels Times


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