The governors at Stone’s Alleyne’s Academy has released a damning statement accusing the borough council of abandoning funding for a community 3G pitch at the site and an empty swimming pool.
Last week we reported on the borough council plans to increase spending on the leisure strategy in Stone – to just shy of £2.5m, however, top-line figures may not be all that they seem to be.
As noted in the borough council’s release last week, Stone’s leisure strategy has been under development since 2014 and has seen a number of consultations, agreements, plans and budgets put in place.
In light of the latest report that is due to be discussed at the council’s cabinet tomorrow, Susan Crookshank, Chair of Governors, has issued the following press release:
The Council’s 2016 Leisure Strategy included £200,000 for a new 3G astro pitch at the Alleyne’s site. Two years’ ago, the Council’s own 2019 playing pitch strategy stated the poor quality of the pitch at Alleyne’s. Now, to justify the cut to funding, the Council states that the pitch “is in good condition”, a misreading of a recent report which acknowledges that Alleyne’s has managed to maintain the pitch “in good condition for its age.” The Football Association will not even license the current pitch for match use.
The Council’s 2019 strategy recognises that the Borough needs two more 3G football pitches in the Borough. Why, then, remove the funding for Stone’s community pitch? A pitch which not only serves the schoolchildren of this town but is the home of Stone’s Old Alleynians.
The 2016 Leisure Strategy also included £430,000 towards the £1 million cost of decommissioning the old swimming pool and creating a sports hall. Now, again without consultation, “conversion to a sports hall” has been quietly dropped from the strategy.
£212,080 had been legally ringfenced specifically for sports. This money cannot now be diverted away from sport provision for the people of Stone to a ‘Destination Park’. The Council has already pumped additional funding into Westbridge Park when costs increased beyond their projected budget.
Stone’s Sports Centre at Alleyne’s has run successfully for 50 years through a joint use agreement in which the Council took responsibility for use outside school hours. The facilities had to close to the community during Covid and, even without Council support, Alleyne’s Academy has been working to start a programme of reopening. We have been very pleased to welcome Old Alleynians back to their home ground and are grateful for their commitment to developing the site with us.
Alleyne’s has received no notice or advance warning from the Council about these new plans to cut funding. The school remains fully committed to developing the sports facilities and continuing our long tradition of shared community use. We hope to build on our partnership with Old Alleynians and work with Stone’s many other local groups to properly reopen the site to the community. But the promised Council funding and support is needed.
