A BRIGHT future is ahead for a Bordon sports club which can finally begin long-term planning after years of uncertainty.

Bordon and Oakhanger Social Club (BOSC) has finally signed a five-year lease with the Army for its clubhouse in Bolley Avenue, bringing to an end a turbulent two-and-a-half years which almost saw the club closed down for good.

Problems at the clubhouse, built in 1911, date back to March 1999 when former garrison commander Colonel Cliff Paskell banned all soldiers and military staff from using the the building after it fell below fire and health safety standards.

In April 1999, the clubhouse was shut down, but when Colonel Roger Owen took over the garrison two months later, a lifeline was thrown to the club, known then as the Bordon Garrison Sports and Social Club.

Since then the club and the MoDÕs defence estates office have been working together to bring the building up to standard before finally agreeing a long-term lease.

The lease is to replace the previous arrangement under which there was a rolling one year licence agreement, under which the Bordon Garrison commandant acted as both landlord and tenant.

A statement from the club said: ÒThis has been an arrangement that has become unsatisfactory to both parties in recent years and, at the invitation of Colonel Owen, the executive committee of the club had put together a report and application for a much longer lease agreement.

ÒNegotiations on this had been long drawn out, but finally the hard work and funds applied by the club to attempt to secure an agreement have paid off.Ó

The original proposal from the club to the garrison commandant in September 1999 requested a 25 year lease.

But the current MoD study on the location of various training establishments has prevented a commitment beyond a five year period at this stage.

By agreeing to what was on offer the club can plan for the future and seek grant funding and support from a number of organisations, including Whitehill Town Council and East Hampshire District Council, to improve the quality of the leisure facility.

Steps are also being taken to increase the involvement of sports clubs which use BOSC.

It is hoped that an expanded executive committee with representatives from each user group will encourage clubs to play a more active role in the running of BOSC.

The clubÕs statement said: ÒThis will improve the level of member input to the running of the club and the level of communication with the membership as a whole.

ÒThe rent will rise on January 1 2002 to £3,000 per annum, but this is not considered to be a cause for concern.

ÒCurrently it equates to £11 per member, but the figure could have been much higher had, for example, the managerÕs accommodation been in better condition.

ÒThe new expanded committee will have to tackle the condition of the premises, for example the clubhouse roof, but external funding will be sought.Ó

But the club says that although it will be seeking grant funding, the key to its future success is support from BOSCÕs users.

ÒThe advent of a five-year lease makes such funding applications a viable proposition,Ó the statement said.

ÒIt is, however, vital that the membership of the club make full use of the facilities and support club functions fully.

ÒCurrently the club is breaking even and the three-year projection shows that an increase in turnover to a level of about £1,500 per week is required to keep things on an even keel.

ÒThis should be achievable if the efforts of the executive committee and the membership to support and promote the club are maintained.

ÒThe arrival of new club managers Dana and Eric Norrgren has provided a much better level of service to members, with the regular availability of excellent food in the bar and a wide range of function catering.

ÒAll of this deserves, and is beginning to receive, the support of the club membership and will surely contribute to the expansion of use that we need.Ó

BOSC chairman Adrian Thomas has expressed his gratitude to Òexisting and previous committee members for the efforts that they had applied, and also to Mo Sutton on the Bordon Garrison staff for the commitment he had shown to expediting the application with the Defence Estates OrganisationÓ.