As first reported on Wave FM A recent statement by PCC has been received with concern among users of sports facilities across the city but especially in Southsea…
David Mormon, Portsmouth City Council’s strategic development manager for sports and leisure said during a related cabinet meeting; that the rising costs associated with the project to build a new sports and leisure centre in Bransbury Park are being addressed through ‘value engineering’ and ‘adjusting the project’s scope’, adding that the project’s scope will “broadly stay the same” including two swimming pools, dry leisure facilities and a nearby GP surgery.
Concern has been raised though, that the proposed two-court sports hall has been considered “suboptimal” and removed from the plan with a suggestion that courts at a ‘local school’ could utilised instead.
The ‘Sports centre’ was initially conceived and promoted by the council as an answer to the closure of Eastney baths and the proposed closure of Wimbledon Park Sports Centre, which according to the council have both become unsustainable due to the failure of the buildings.
The council believe that a new facility would be cheaper in the medium to long term than repairing and refurbishing the existing buildings.
However although there was initially some local enthusiasm for the new sports centre, questions have been raised around local traffic disruption and loss of existing services around Bransbury park.
There is also a growing disappointment that two much loved and historic buildings will forever be lost to the community. Indeed; Eastney baths were central to the training of the Royal Marines when the local barracks was active and was used in the filming of the classic war film ‘The Cockleshell Heroes’ due to its role in the planning of Operation Frankton, the mission to attack enemy ships in the harbour of Bordeaux during WW11 and Wimbledon Park is famous as the home of the World’s 1st Badminton club.
Furthermore the loss of the court element of the Bransbury Park facility means that the badminton club will not have access to enough courts host and enter competitions.
Initially the cost of the new sports centre was expected by the council to be around £10 million pounds, however this has been exposed as unachievable hence the reduction in the scope of the project, leaving many locals feeling short changed by the closure of the only public swimming pool in Southsea and the planned closure of the only remaining sports hall.
As a result of these changes the planning application has now been pushed out from October 2023 to February 2024, leaving the city’s badminton clubs and swimmers closer to Southsea without certainty that they will be able to continue with their favourite leisure activities.
A campaign to save Eastney Baths and Wimbledon Park has created a Facebook group where more information can be found.
