The report on Stafford Borough Council’s leisure consultation in Stone earlier this year calls for more consultation, the creation of a liaison group to “engage constructively” with the council and a fresh study on the need for a new supermarket/foodstore in the town.
The council released the 79-page consultation report from consultants Beattie Communications today on its plans for new leisure facilities on Westbridge Park that were to be part-funded by a foodstore/supermarket.
A press release issued today by the borough council said “bosses are now looking at a range of options for the park taking in to account the feedback”.
Click HERE to read the full report.
The borough council’s plans – which were consulted on in February and March – were put on ice in March when council leader Mike Heenan said he was not convinced there was “sufficient support for the scheme in its present form”.
And the report recommends further consultation to attempt to find a way forward, the creation of a liaison group that would meet quarterly with the borough council to “engage constructively with the Borough Council on issues regarding Stone” AND a fresh study on the need for a new foodstore/supermarket in the town.
The report states that 1,369 took part in the consultation, with 757 supporting the proposal and 471 against. A further 104 wanted more information before making a decision and 37 did not answer the consultation questions.
The report sets out consultation responses collated by the Keep Westbridge Park Green campaign group separately. It states that some residents posted them back to the borough council themselves – and that these are included in the figures above – and that hundreds were handed in at the final public consultation event: 689 were against; 11 in favour; and nine were unsure.
The report states that, although it treats the responses handed in by KWPG separately, all responses to the consultation need to be considered by the borough council.
It states: “It is our professional opinion that the responses should not be ignored but should be detailed separately as we cannot verify the accuracy of the information which was given out to these respondents as we were not in attendance to listen to information or clarify any points. Although there were more supporters of the proposed new leisure facilities than those against at the Borough Council’s events,the overall consultation and KWPG’s campaign clearly shows that there are concerns about the whole park being developed as well as concerns about the need for another supermarket in the town centre. It is our opinion that the Borough Council should therefore take all of these concerns into account before making a decision.”
Beattie makes a number of recommendations, which are published here in full:
1. One of KWPG’s key concerns was the designation of Westbridge Park as a mixed use site. Although in policy terms “mixed-use” legitimately includes green space, this has posed a key concern. It is recommended that if possible, the specific areas proposed for commercial space and the leisure centre should be ring fenced.
Then, the specific area which would remain as green and open space could also be ring-fenced and an agreement made to protect this green space in perpetuity should this proposal go ahead. If this recommendation is approved, then residents should also be notified and provided a further opportunity to comment before a decision is made.
2. If that additional consultation takes place, Beattie further recommends undertaking the following activities as part of that activity:
a. A number of respondents wanted more information in order to effectively respond to the consultation process, particularly details about elevations, designs, size and layout of the buildings. It is recommended that the Borough Council distributes any further information which can be made available to residents providing another opportunity for them to comment on this detail.
b. One of the key concerns related to retail need in Stone and the impact on the High Street in terms of another supermarket. It is recommended that the Borough Council undertakes a further study and provides that information to residents allowing a further opportunity to comment. If the eventuality of another supermarket is proven, respondents should have the opportunity to confirm which of the possible site options they prefer.
c. It is also recommended that as part of the further consultation all of those who responded to the KWPG consultation should also be given the additional information along with a key fact sheet and invited to respond with their opinions.
d. In order to make any further consultation as cost effective as possible, it is recommended that the Borough Council uses the database of those who participated in the consultation to send the above information as well as answering the other questions raised through the consultation process. This additional information and Q&A should also be uploaded to the website and promoted via the local media, online channels and sent to Stone Town Council.
If further exhibitions are considered, it is recommended that the Borough Council seeks to work with KWPG as this would avoid claims of misleading information being levelled against any party.
e. Eleven individual residents have also provided contact details and agreed to participate in a liaison group with the Borough Council. In addition, a number of the Park user groups have voiced a willingness to participate on this group. It is recommended that this liaison group is created and the individual residents who offered to participate, as well as all park user groups, The Moorings and the Town Council are notified and invited to nominate one representative to sit on this group. The group should then meet quarterly in order to work in partnership and engage constructively with the Borough Council on issues regarding Stone.
The report shows that as well as the public consultation events in Stone, Barlaston and Eccleshall, representatives from Beattie met with a range of charities and community groups to discuss the council’s plans. They held meetings with the Stone Festival committee, Stafford & Stone Canoe Club, Westbridge Park Guides, Stone Scout and Guide Band, the headteacher and governors at Alleyne’s High School, Trinity Skills For Life, Stone Master Marathoners, the Stone in Bloom committee, the Food and Drink Festival committee, residents of The Moorings and Stone Bonfire committee. The report provides summaries of these meetings.
- Beattie Communications
- Keep Westbridge Park Green
- leisure
- Mike Heenan
- Stafford Borough Council
- Westbridge Park
13 comments
Rob Wise
Gemma
Lichfield has a Tescos and a Waitrose
and Stone has a Morissons and a Coop. Plus Aldi and a few smaller ones.
So what is the point you are making. Is it that you want a Waitriose? is Morrisons not good enough for you ?
Gemma
Lichfield has a tescos and waitrose, as such are really suggesting that Stone has a better foodstore choice? Utter rubbish.
Rob Wise
Richard
. If there is a new pool on Westbridge it will undoubtedly cause Alleynes pool to close. The Headteacher and Head of PE are on record saying so. In the same way that the public are not allowed in Alleynes pool during the times the school uses it. The public will not be allowed in the new pool when it is designated for school children just like the pool in Stafford.
Rob Wise
Liz
Do you have a problem with counting ? Aldi, Morrisons, Heron Foods, The coop, The coop (walton) Londis. 7 Stores 6 Operators
Six different supermarket operators and the choice is ABYSMAL you poor thing.
Lichfield is more than twice as big as Stone in terms of population yet does not have 12 assorted supermarkets. So is actually worse off than Stone for choice.
In Lichfield The locations of the supermarkets and road layouts is very poor with many locals (my family live in Lichfield) saying that the buildings are and eyesore and the roads are gridlocked.
I cannot speak for the ‘blue rinse’ generation but many changes have gone on without objection but this issue is emotive. Town centres do need to diversify but the majority of the towns shop owners are against the supermarket being on the park.
Apart from all these minor details a well thought out and researched contribution.
Tim
Liz, a supermarket may or may not be required in Stone, now or in the future. But the people of Stone do not wish to see it on their park. That is the issue.
Stafford Borough Council own the land and are not obliged to build a supermarket on the park . But they want to. That is the issue.
I am not aware that age is relevant to this issue. I know many older residents who want improvements to leisure and recreation but not at the expense of the park. Find alternatives!
Richard Evans
Andy whilst the report you mention has its good points the fact remains if you develop alleynes in the manner you describe, how do the members of public use the facilities during school hours.
Take that into account and you have a leisure centre that is only accessible for 5/6 hours a day during the week.
Andy Osgathorpe
I take your point with the arrangement of existing facilities but it’s really a problem which relates to management and design of the facilities. Refurbishment and new build at Alleynes Sports Centre (instead of new build at Westbridge) should be able to cater for all, otherwise it wouldn’t be a true community build. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be designed for school use during the day, with a small community use and then be used for a large community use during the evening with no school use at all. Let face it most of cardio vascular suites at Westbridge have light use during the day but are in demand during the evening. Indeed at peak times Westbridge is too small. It’s the studio centres which “do the business” with instructor based aerobic workouts. To have a facility like this at Alleynes would maximise on its use, be cost effective and make a statement about the status and importance of these kinds of facilities in Stone. We simply must encourage development at Alleynes Sports Centre. It has the size and potential to be developed both inside and out. Westbridge will never have that it’s a park on a flood plain and should be developed for tourism and a children’s play area just as the Kit Campbell report recommends. Westbridge is too small for Sports development. You will get the leisure facilities in, but to develop outside sports on Astro, no chance! Alleynes could be a first class Sports Centre; Westbridge will be only a leisure centre underused during the daytime.
Liz
A new supermarket is desperately needed in Stone. Morrisons and Aldi? The choice is abysmal. Where it is built is clearly important and the park might not be the best plot. Lichfield has successfully invested much into Beacon Park with leisure facilities it is an excellent example. We also have several supermarkets, lots of choice for all pockets and all ages. Stone will never move onwards and upwards if its blue-rinse generation continually thwart progress. Town centres need to diversify in order to survive, and stopping supermarkets being built is not the answer.
Richard Evans
Interesting thoughts Mrs hearing. unfortunately being a school site the public wouldn’t be allowed access to the pool and facilities there during school hours. That point was made loud and clear by the head of PE.
Would it be economical to open a leisure centre for 5-6 hours on weekdays. Even with my rudimental maths skills i can drew that wouldn’t work.
Andy Osgathorpe
It’s about a duty of care. The site is in effect a school site with public access. Different youngsters come and go throughout the day to various parts of the centre where they are being taught. Any risk assessment would have to include a reduction in the frequency, times and places when the public and children mix. One example at the moment is the Sports Hall being used for GCSE exams, so public movements in this area must be reduced. This is unlike Stafford Riverside which is a public facility in which the school children are continuously supervised whilst they visit for a short period of time. The risks are much more manageable. Nevertheless, I still maintain that even when the school is “closed” to children, the facility e.g. pool isn’t made available to the public as much as it should be and this is to do with how the pool is managed by the borough council.
The only way to resolve the problem of unsupervised children mixing with public would be to “design out” the problems. Build a public entrance and new changing room block in a different place and this would solve some of the problems. What is needed at Alleynes Sport Centre is a proper feasibility study to make this work, find out how much it would cost and what refurbishment and new build would be required. It would a true Olympic legacy for our children and the community and I sure would attract funding. Instead the Borough Council still remain adamant that they want to build a supermarket on the park in order to replace the existing leisure facility which will result in them withdrawing support at Alleynes. Well, at least the Borough Council appears to have dropped the excuse that Alleynes will not want the pool because it’s becoming an Academy- What utter nonsense!
Allan Skerratt
Just an observation on the comments from Beattie communications. I went to one of the Beattie exhibitions. The Beattie staff were encouraging visitors to fill in a form supporting the new leisure facilities on Westbridge Park. On that form there was no mention of a supermarket. This was not the consultation form the SBC we using. I assume it was one Beattie staff had produced themselves. Why would the form not mention the fact that to get the leisure facility a large supermarket would have to be built. Is this Beattie staff being selective with the information they provided or just an error? The form that the KWPG group used was downloaded from the SBC website and not adulterated in any way.
Charlie Hearing
Even with my rudimentary math skill, Stone’s response overall taking into account KWPG submissions was “No” and predominantly its no to the supermarket on Westbridge Park being built in our only leisure space. The communications from the Borough Council with Stone residents were at best appalling. I received an email with answers to FAQ’s and more new information was provided then. For example the drainage that could be done to extend the site, not mentioned before, that they do not need to provide new leisure facilities as its non statutory, well ok just ignore the Stone voters in the next rounds of elections and you won’t be in charge next year Mike Heenan will you! Stone residents deserve new facilities we have waited long enough, my children have grown up without the play park they loved taken from Stone with no consultation. Alleynes School will loose the pool if the plans go ahead, and then incur costs getting their children to a new pool in Westbridge Park, all in all its a votes looser. Get together with Staffordshire County Council and improve the pool on the site at Alleynes where it already is 1.5 million pounds will build a new pool and refurbish the entrance lobby and extend gym facilities there’s plenty of space. Then please Borough council could our children have a new play park like yours in Stafford??
Andy Osgathorpe
The County Council owns the property (Alleynes Sports Centre) and the school had a joint user agreement with the Borough Council but this expired in 2010. I believe this contract still remains on the desk of the head of Stafford Leisure Service waiting for his “attention” to be renewed. I believe the school want and are waiting for its renewal. This has been a longstanding arrangement (since 1970) and the school currently rely on the income from SBC to run the facilities, i.e. 60% of expenditure comes from SBC. Because of this, SBC can force the closure of the pool through the withdrawal of this funding. Alleynes School cannot afford to run the centre by itself. In effect, if SBC do not support the agreement then Alleynes School will need to run the centre/pool themselves or close. To imply the school has a free choice in keeping the pool open is grossly misleading and totally unfair. Stafford Borough Council have an obligation and indeed a duty to continue to support Alleynes and its feeder schools in the same manner which
has been agreed since the joint user agreement was first signed in 1970.
Alleynes Pool has far more school usage than the Stafford pool and SBC need to be more proactive in staffing the pool to provide Stone residents with more swimming opportunities, especially at lunchtimes. I would propose a Stone Swimmers User Group with members from SBC, Alleynes and Stone residents be set up to discuss and resolve these issues. This has gone on far too long. The new pool proposal for Westbridge Park would not provide the same amount of time for school based activities as the current Alleynes Pool and more students (approximately another 70% representing 700 pupils) would require transporting to the facility which does not occur at the moment.Finally, SBC commissioned KIT Campbell Associates for a report (PPG17 Assessment and Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy) on page 52 recommends that:
“Westbridge Park and the area to the south of it is an underutilised resource at the moment. The Council should consider enhancing the area close to the Sports Centre in order to make it more “park-like” and attractive for informal activities.”
The report concludes by saying:
“While the complex is no doubt financially viable, relocating it to Alleyne’s School could help to encourage even higher levels of use and therefore greater income”
and recommends that:
“The Borough Council should consider relocating the Westbridge Park Fitness Centre to the Alleyne’s Sports Centre in order to achieve economies of scale, subject of course to the conclusion of a suitable joint use agreement”
The Borough Council really need to follow the recommendation of their consultants and seek to improve the tri-party management and investigate more thoroughly how to refurbish Alleynes Sports Centre instead of excuses such as – “it was not cost effective and the school site is restricted in terms
of parking, access and it cannot be used in school hours and the Borough Council has a responsibility to look at the best solutions for everyone in Stone” (Source: Beattie Report Page 20 section 4.6.1)
Where is the feasibility study to support this argument instead of spending money and a “leisure consultation”?
This argument is little to do with leisure facilities but is to do with revenue from the sale of Westbridge Park to build a supermarket.
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