LOCAL sports enthusiasts have been given an assurance that the future of Alton Sports Centre is Òunder no threatÓ.

In a well received speech at last weekÕs Alton and District Sports Council agm, EHDC recreation spokesman Andrew Pattie told members that, while aware of concerns about the future of the centre, the council was planning with new contractors to invest around £1.35 million over the next seven to eight years on both Alton Sports Centre and the Taro Centre at Petersfield.

ÒI hope this puts to rest any fears you may have for the immediate future of the facility,Ó he said.

Mr Pattie went on to explain that sports development was split into two distinct parts when it came to district administration. On the one hand there was the infrastructure and on the other enabling and small grant aiding, with the help of Sport England, to encourage local clubs to adopt best practices.

In describing the provision of infrastructure as costing Òhuge sums of moneyÓ, Mr Pattie pointed out that Òrealistically, a poor council like East Hampshire is pretty much powerless to help except as a facilitator or advisorÓ.

The council, he said, was well aware that, apart from a new leisure centre, what Alton wanted was a multi-purpose artificial turf pitch for the hockey club which, at a cost of around £500,000 was Òa very long way offÓ, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool, as the existing facilities do not meet ISA standards.

ÒBoth of these pieces of infrastructure are so far away from us financially that we can only involve ourselves in a supporting role,Ó said Mr Pattie.

ÒUntil there is a change of emphasis from Sport England and the government interests itself in rural affairs, we have to rely on ourselves.Ó

While not wishing to paint too bleak a picture, Mr Pattie was honest. ÒYou would not thank me if I promised what I cannot deliver,Ó he told members.

What East Hampshire was able to provide, however, was support, advice and a certain amount of small grant funding. ÒWe also encourage best practice in areas such as youth development,Ó said Mr Pattie who gave Alton Town FC and Alton United Football Club as Òshining examplesÓ of an advanced youth policy which, he said, was paying dividends.

ÒDeveloping youth programmes not only ensures a healthy future, but will help to encourage local government to be freer with its finances.Ó

On Sport England, sponsored to provide services in East Hampshire, Mr Pattie explained that it was currently concentrating on womenÕs rugby, basketball and netball in an ÒencouragingÓ programme which was being hosted by Amery Hill School. ÒI am sure that a marked improvement in performance will be noticeable soon,Ó he said.

Furthermore, Sport England sponsored the Hampshire Youth Games which had proved a Òtremendously successful eventÓ and one which it was hoped would continue to grow in prestige.

Finally, having described the many sporting clubs and organisations in and around Alton as Òthe lifeblood of the communityÓ Mr Pattie invited members to read a paper he is producing on placing the sports club at the centre of community life.

ÒI think that well run amateur sports clubs epitomise everything that is special about a community. Sports brings people together in an increasingly isolationist world. Sport has a nobility and a camaraderie about it which it is hard to find off the pitch these days.Ó

Mr Pattie would like to see sports clubs extending their sphere of influence. ÒI want the sports clubs of Alton to be community leaders just as much as the voluntary sector and local politicians and to bring that sense of commitment and altruism to other areas of community life,Ó he said.