Agenda item

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.
c. If this 50k was invested in the Hermitage leisure there would be a return for the taxpayer. Giving it to Newbridge would bring no return whatsoever.
d. Newbridge High School is to all intents a private company and does not even intend to contribute any money itself to the project.

e. Well known fact sports participation lower after London 2012 than before.

It should be borne in mind that the extra traffic this will generate will further raise the already dangerous traffic situation that exists on Forest Road, There will shortly be an exit from the new Wilson estate at 104 Forest Road which will be a matter of a few metres from the school gates. Already there are 2 or 3 near misses a week when traffic exits Newbridge.

I would contend that this running track would be used more during out of school hours either by the community or for inter school events. A short while ago the school held inter school competitions on Monday evenings and the traffic congestion this caused in Forest Road, Avenue Road and Broughton street was horrendous. It was so bad the police and I believe your own enforcement staff had to attend. It is my understanding that the school have still not provided a traffic plan, again showing contempt for its neighbours.

Hardly any of the community users of the Newbridge facilities are local. This is evident from the frill car park every night and weekend. The pollution these vehicle movements produce make a mockery of any “green” policy the council have. Any additional facilities that are made available to community users will only exacerbate this pollution.

Newbridge already has a plethora of sports facilities. Google maps shows a total of 10 5 aside football pitches. One or more netball courts, I’m not sure how big a netball court is, a frill size 3G pitch, two grass football or rugby pitches and what looks like a long jump pit. This is in addition to whatever facilities are within the sports hail and dance studio. Surely enough for a 500 pupil school.’

Councillor A V Smith thanked Mr J Jordan for speaking at the meeting to raise his concerns and also for meeting beforehand to be able to discuss his concerns. She stated that at the moment the Council was only looking at allocating the money following an approach by the school who want to investigate the proposal further. She advised that there was no space at Hermitage for such a facility and that the project could be worth millions and provide a local facility to the greater Coalville area. She appreciated the concerns over issues in the past relating to development at the school and that should the proposal go forward traffic issues would be looked at and at the appropriate time if the project is to proceed Mr J Jordan and other neighbours would be kept informed.

Councillor R Blunt stated that he was pleased to hear Mr J Jordan’s comments and that he felt that any resident or business should be a good neighbour. He advised that both the Community Services Portfolio Holder and the Director of Services had heard what Mr J Jordan had said and understood his concerns.

Councillor T J Pendleton stated that Mr J Jordan’s concerns over planning were good points and that should the running track proposal go forward appropriate consultations with statutory authorities including traffic issues would be carried out.

Councillor R D Bayliss felt that participation in sport may be lower than expected after the Olympics but this could be explained by the fact that there were not the facilities in the district.

It was moved by Councillor A V Smith, seconded by Councillor R Blunt and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.     The allocation of £50k reserves to assist Newbridge School in developing its running track proposal be approved

2.     The transfer of the £50k allocated to free wifi, to support Ashby de la Zouch Town Council’s improvements to St Helen’s churchyard be approved

3.     The allocation of £300k reserves to assist Ashby de la Zouch Town Council in delivering aspects of its neighbourhood plan be approved

4.     The allocation of £300k reserves to assist Castle Donington, Lockington cum Hemington and Kegworth Parish Councils in achieving their local community projects be approved

5.     Authority be delegated to the Director of Services in consultation with the Community Services Portfolio Holder to commit expenditure of the Newbridge School reserve referred to in recommendation 1

6.     Authority be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Community Services Portfolio Holder to commit expenditure of the Ashby de la Zouch Town Council reserve referred to in recommendations 2 and 3

7.     Authority be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Community Services Portfolio Holder to commit expenditure of the Castle Donington, Lockington cum Hemington and Kegworth Parish Councils reserve referred to in recommendation 4

8.     Authority be delegated to the Chief Executive and Director of Services to negotiate and agree the terms of the legal agreements required in the furtherance of recommendations 1 to 7

Reason for decision: Approval is needed for allocation of reserves towards supporting community ambitions.