Issue - meetings

Report of the Interim Director of Resources

Presented by the Community Services Portfolio Holder

The Community Services Portfolio Holder presented the report to Members. She highlighted to members that the report set out proposals to provide financial assistance to five communities in the area. She informed Members that the first proposal was to allocate a sum of £50,000 to Newbridge High School to assist the school with investigations into the possibility of developing a running track that would be open to all the community not just the school and that it could prove to be a sporting legacy adding that the nearest tracks were in Loughborough and Burton. She advised Members that the second proposal was to allocate funds to Ashby de la Zouch Town Council to support the delivery aspects of its Neighbourhood Plan and the improvements to St Helen’s Churchyard. Finally Members were informed that the final proposal was to provide support to Castle Donington, Lockington cum Hemington and Kegworth Parish Councils in delivering community projects.

The Leader then invited Mr J Jordan, neighbour of Newbridge High School, to address the meeting.

Mr J Jordan advised the Members that he was addressing them as a Parish Councillor of Hugglescote and Donington le Heath Parish Council and a neighbour of Newbridge High School.

‘As a Parish Councillor I have to report that at the Parish council meeting last week when this application was revealed there was dismay that yet again we had not been involved in any discussions and it was only by looking at this meeting’s agenda online that we heard about it. This lack of consultation was also evident when the 3G pitch was in the planning stage.

As a neighbour of the school this is typical of the utter contempt the school hierarchy has for its neighbours or in fact with anyone else. An example is when the 3G pitch was being planned, neighbours only heard about it 3 days after the planning application was lodged with the planning dept. Local residents were promised access to the facilities yet are now effectively barred from even accessing the school premises when the facilities are in use by eitherthe pupils or paying customers. This also includes an evening stroll around the playing field perimeter once enjoyed by many residents.

 
The school has reneged on promises made to neighbours in that they stated when the sports hall was being discussed that it would be green in colour to make it less obtrusive yet it turned out to be bright blue. They said it would not apply for an extension to the original hours of use yet came to the council a couple of years later requesting and being granted an extension to the hours of use.

As far as this application is concerned there a number of points that concern me as a tax payer.
a. The proposal for a running track is without evidence, there are no plans or details at all.
b. This 50k should be invested in the assets already owned by NWLDC at the Hermitage leisure facilities.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37