Sport England and Winchester City Council look to reach agreement over playing field
Sport England and Winchester City Council are working closely to reach an agreement on how to compensate for a football pitch that would be lost when the proposed Winchester Sport & Leisure Centre is built.
The proposal being looked at is that Winchester and District Girls’ Football League games, which presently take place at Bar End, will in future be played on improved facilities at the neighbouring King George V playing field site. Adult and youth matches currently played at that site will relocate to the Garrison Ground.
Sport England has a statutory duty to protect playing fields from development and when the planning application for the new centre was submitted by Winchester City Council the agency lodged a ‘holding objection’.
This is the agency’s normal practice, giving the applicant the opportunity to provide more detail on how the impact on the playing field will be mitigated.
Charles Johnston, Property Director at Sport England, said:
“Winchester City Council has provided the further information that we requested and we are now examining it to ensure that it includes the necessary reassurances.
“We have a good working relationship with the city council and we are hopeful that we can reach an agreement ahead of the application being considered by the planning committee in the autumn.
“In our response to the application we stated that overall, we are happy with the proposed design. We also included some comments from some of the national governing bodies for the sports that will be affected when the new centre is built. The council has confirmed that they have been engaging with them, and have taken their views into consideration and made adjustments to the proposals where appropriate.”
Cllr Lisa Griffiths, Portfolio holder for Health and Wellbeing said:
“We have known for some time that the proposals to develop a new leisure facility at the Garrison Ground will result in the loss of a full size adult football pitch and understand Sport England’s need to be fully reassured about our plans for mitigating that loss.
“We have approved a playing pitch strategy, which was developed in consultation and agreement with the Football League, the clubs affected and Hants FA.
“The council has committed to upgrading the existing pitches at King George V Playing Fields to accommodate the matches displaced from the Garrison Ground. Hants FA and local football clubs agreed this strategy will increase training times, match play and would suitably compensate for the loss of the football pitch.
“These improvements will be completed during this summer before the football season begins. In addition, the council is looking into the feasibility of establishing a new pavilion on KGV to potentially enhance changing facilities along with other community uses.
“We continue to listen and work with our residents, partners and interest groups so this facility is one of which everyone can be proud.
“The council has also listened to feedback regarding the design aspects of the building, and agreed mitigation work with National Governing Bodies and Sport England to ensure the scheme is acceptable.”