Mayor uses deciding vote against installing new dugouts at Cottesloe Oval

COTTESLOE Council threw out its own application to build 2m-deep, baseball-like dugouts to shelter football coaches at its Crown land-invested Cottesloe Oval on Broome Street on Tuesday night .

“The design is very poor, and with the flat platforms on the top kids are going to be jumping off them, or there will be drinking parties in them afterhours,” Cr Mark Rodda said.

At February’s council meeting, Cottesloe Football Club president John Garland suggested two of the 4m-wide dugouts be built by the Town in an embankment on the east side of the oval overlooking the Indian Ocean.

The dugouts would house coaches and non-playing footballers who have moved from the west side to avoid golf balls from adjacent Seaview Golf Course while they sit during 23 games each season.

However, residents neighbouring the oval and some councillors had concerns about the proposal, including the dugouts being vandalised or used by the homeless, afterhours drinking, and possible anti-social behaviour in the structures.

“Who will dispose of the syringes?” resident Ian McCallum said.

Mayor Jo Dawkins said the Town successfully maintained and monitored many similar structures, but when councillors were equally split in a 4-4 vote she used her casting vote for the status quo, which meant not installing the structures.

Mrs Dawkins said consideration of any other type of dugout shelter would have to wait at least three months.