Report highlights need for sports centres

6:06pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

TWO new sports centres should be built and a another facility expanded in a bid to boost Didcot's flagging leisure facilities, experts have said.

A draft report has been released by South Oxfordshire District Council, which suggests a new multi-use leisure centre should replace the Didcot Wave, in Newlands Avenue.

The report believes it is vital to meet the shortfall of sport and recreation provision in Didcot. The swimming complex and gym is 15 years old.

District councillor Bill Service, cabinet member for leisure, said: "We are considering this draft report and we need to clarify some issues with the consultants.

"Following this, we will carry out a consultation with the public and relevant stakeholders, so that the consultants can finalise their report."

The report will be finalised later this month, but it is up for discussion at a cabinet meeting tomorrow.

It suggests the planned sports facility at new development, Great Western Park, should be extended to incorporate more services, such as a fitness facility, which would be a hub for the outdoor pitches on the site.

And a further site should be identified as an outdoor pitch, to provide for the ever-increasing population, the report said.

The consultants talked to local schools and leisure providers to produce the sport and recreation study. Residents have complained that the town's limited leisure facilities have decreased over the past 20 years.

Conservative council leader John Flood said: "The long-term plan is good. I think it met with approval all around. The town itself has been short of 14 hectares of leisure land for at least 20 years. The town council has been searching for recreation ground, particularly a cricket pitch, for some time."

Mr Flood said the new leisure centre would be built using money set aside from the Great Western Park development, but, because of the current financial situation, it is uncertain when the money will be available.

Last April, budget pressures on the council led to the opening times of Willowbrook Leisure Centre, on the Ladygrove estate, being reduced.

The centre now runs from 3pm until 10pm, Monday to Friday, rather than 9am to 10pm, as previously.

Didcot Cricket Club coach David Slade thought more facilities were long overdue. He said: "When Didcot was a little town of 5,000 people, the facilities were nothing like enough for the number of people. Now there are even less facilities.

"You get all the kids running around committing mayhem, because there is nothing for them to do, and people wonder why.

"Lots of things are going right in Didcot, but for the sports facilities it's doom and gloom."

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