LETTER: Affordability of leisure facilities

In June 2013 the Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre Joint User Group (BJUG) submitted to HDC its requirements for the new centre together with a list of all the spaces/rooms and an initial architectural schematic of a possible layout.

We took the HDC Option 7A as our base, suggesting justified enhancements based on current/future usage, club requirements and supported by Sport England guidelines wherever available. We also endeavoured to make all spaces suitable for sharing and multi-use wherever practicable.

These requirements incorporated an enhanced Sports Hall, Gym, Exercise Studio, MUGAs etc. They also included a café and kitchen with the capacity to cater for ‘club meals’ and other catered events (e.g. meetings and functions). As proposed by HDC in Option 7A, an indoor bowls facility (6 rinks) was included but with some additional dedicated bowls facilities (e.g. Reception and Office).

We proposed an innovative ‘Gallery’ with views/access to the Sports Hall and Bowls Rinks. This gallery space would provide a multi-use ‘club/spectator area’ for Bowls, Badminton, Basket-Ball and Children’s Holiday Clubs etc. as well as otherwise being available to the general public.

All these ideas and plans can be viewed on our website www.bbhleisurecentrejug.org.uk

The HDC proposal for housing (200 apartments) to be built on the site of the current BBHLC stadium (instead of the originally proposed heavy goods retail usage), should mean that the capital value of this site (which is over half of the overall leisure site) will be dramatically increased.

Accordingly a sensible re-provision of all displaced leisure facilities has to be seen as fully affordable by HDC as part of the BBH Quadrant initiative.

PAUL KORNYCKY

BJUG deputy chairman, Cox Green, Rudgwick