ALTON Town Council is having to walk a fine line in its bid to reach a balanced and informed decision on the proposed relocation of sporting facilities from the Coors ground to ATC-owned land. It is coming under pressure from some quarters to make a speedy decision or risk losing a £5.25 million relocation deal, and from others to take time to look for alternative sites, rather than lose valuable open space. But the key message seems that in considering these proposals, Alton should be building for the future. And no-one at Monday's public meeting put their hand up to say they did not want to benefit from the Coors offer. Those opposed to the current proposals simply felt that Alton Town Football Club and the artificial turf pitch would be in the wrong place. It was standing room only at Alton Assembly Rooms for the meeting, hosted by ATC leader David Willoughby, and chaired by Alton Town Partnership chairman Chris McCallum. It began with a succinct account of the history of the proposal, given by town clerk Steve Parkinson. He said the council had received more than 250 responses to date to the consulation, with the balance being in favour. There had been no objection to plans to relocate Alton Social Bowls Club to a site in Chawton Park Road, and no objections to the construction of two new courts for Alton Tennis Club, which Coors had at last agreed to. But there were issues over the proposal to relocate the football club on the Diggers extension of Anstey Park, with a public artificial turf pitch running adjacent, so that users could use changing facilities attached to the football stadium. The objections included the loss of informal open space for dog walking and as a kick about area for children; safety aspects relating to the new access road; light pollution from floodlights; noise pollution; and the impact on wildlife. Alternative suggestions had included the siting of the football club at the front of Anstey Park, facing London Road, which was felt unlikely to receive planning permission. And that Alton Town FC could share the enclosure with Alton United FC, which was considered a "non-starter" because Alton United already used the enclosure to capacity. Another alternative was to site ATFC on the rugby club practice area and to relocate the rugby pitches at the bottom of the Diggers area, thereby negating the need for a new access road and additional car parking. Alton Rugby Club president Charles Clark was sceptical over this because a previous plan to construct a first team pitch in that area had thrown up expensive levelling problems. At the meeting it was asked why the existing facilities could not be enhanced, but this was said not to be an option. Clearly Coors wants to build on the site and, as a multinational company with responsibility to its share holders, it is perfectly entitled to do so. The clubs currently housed on the Coors ground have received notice to quit and, while the company is bound under government planning guidance (PPG17) to reprovide these facilities, it also has the right to lock the gates and render them homeless. According to Dave Crocker, if for any reason ATC decided to turn down the offer, the fear is that East Hampshire planners would accept that Coors had done everything possible to satisfy the terms of PPG17 and would order a commuted sum instead, which was likely to be a tenth of the £5.25 million currently on offer. Coors has been wanting to submit relocation plans since May and agents Atisrel has indicated that the delay is costing the company thousands of pounds and that it could mean Alton will get less. A suggestion that the town council should hold a referendum was met therefore with some reluctance. "I for one would not want to drag the process out with a referendum," said Mr Crocker. The main sticking point with the Diggers proposal appeared to be the location of the artificial turf pitch at the rear of Manor Estate properties. But this could be addressed by moving the artificial turf pitch to the bottom end of the Alton Town FC site, leaving an area of open space near to the houses. According to Steve Parkinson the artificial turf pitch would cost £40k a year to run. In order to sustain this level of income the ATP would need to be used 21 hours a week at an average cost of around £37 per hour. There was clear evidence of need, with indications that it would be used by students from Alton College and Eggar's, and that hockey, junior football and rugby players would all be interested in taking time. The clerk was confident that it would be self-sufficient and would not eat into tax payer's money. The ATP would need to be floodlit to facilitate the level of use required to offset the cost, as would the Alton Town football ground. It was, said chairman Jim McKell, a requirement under PPG17 that Coors replaced like for like, which meant flood lighting, car parking and access. These facilities were also a requirement of the Wessex League and were essential if the club was to survive financially. There was a suggestion from the floor that Eggar's School should be approached with a view to siting the facilities on its ground. But this may not satisfy the conditions of PPG17 as the facilities would then belong to the local education authority and not to Alton Town Council. There was a strong lobby against the loss of public open space. The Alton Society felt that with an increasing population Alton needed more not less space. "The loss of Diggers plus the loss of the Coors ground would be a 'double whammy' for Alton," said former chairman Geoff Nicholas. Determined to protect their "right to roam" there was a call by casual users of Diggers for a more comprehensive footfall count - a survey in June had recorded 253 people, mainly dog walkers, using the site which they felt to be inaccurate. They also wanted transparent assurance that all alternative sites had been investigated, and to see a business plan to show how ATC intends to manage the new development. Their message was clear: while acknowledging the need for improved sports facilities, "once you use open space it is gone for good". Alton Sports Council chairman Dick Goodeve agreed. He represented 160 different sporting organisations in the area and they had voted "in principle" to support the Coors proposals, although he recognised the need for sensible compromise. Alton Town Council's consultation will continue until July 31 with a decision expected at a full council meeting on August 30. l Casual users of Diggers are invited to a meeting starting at 7 pm on Monday at the 8th Alton Scouts HQ in Anstey Park to establish a a group that can give them "one voice" when lobbying. For details, contact Margaret Lockett at [email protected]">[email protected] or leave your name and telephone number c/o Greg Burt at Alton Town Hall.
