Site still sought for 'much-needed' sports hub

Plans to build a new sports facility in a town have stalled after a council concluded that an previously identified site wasn't suitable.

West Suffolk Council (WSC) is looking for a location for a sports hub in Newmarket.

The authority said it had reviewed a site at the former St Felix School on Fordham Road, which closed in 2012, but found issues relating to construction traffic, parking and the potential small size of the facility.

Suffolk County Council (SCC), which was putting £2m towards the project, said the decision was "rushed" and there was "shock and disappointment" from staff.

West Suffolk, which is also contributing £2m to the project, said of the St Felix School plans: "The proposed three-court facility would be modest in scale and based on discussions with our partners at Abbeycroft, is unlikely to generate sufficient income to cover its operating and maintenance costs as a stand-alone facility."

The county council is currently building 50 homes on part of the site.

But WSC said it had looked at a larger site on the George Lambton Playing Fields, and had been unable to agree a deal with the landowner.

Ian Shipp, cabinet member for leisure at WSC, said: "The council remains committed to addressing the shortage of indoor sports hall provision in Newmarket to support the health and wellbeing of residents.

"We are meeting with local sports clubs and key stakeholders in the coming weeks to provide reassurance and discuss next steps to work together and deliver this much needed facility in the town."

Chris Chambers, the county council's cabinet member for transport strategy, planning and waste, said: "Newmarket's residents would be the ones let down by the abandonment of a sports facility at the St Felix site.

"But the county council still believes it is a credible and workable opportunity, and will pursue it with WSC.

"Residents have been waiting for nearly a decade for such an amenity, and I don't agree with West Suffolk Council's recent, and seemingly rushed, announcement to abandon it, and the stated challenges that they say they face."

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