On Monday 11th February at 5pm Arun District Cabinet meets at the Civic Centre to consider the Leisure Strategy recommendations.
There will be public questions for the first 15 minutes. If you wish to ask a question it should be submitted in advance, either via the ADC website or in writing. A strong public presence remains important if we are to keep up the pressure to ensure Councillors listen to local opinion. If you can spare an hour on Monday evening it will be time well spent. The full Agenda is at
http://www1.arun.gov.uk/planrec/session/TempObjects/F00401DF-1C04-464E-9A918785C89FB8D7.pdf
Here is an extract which you may find of interest. You will recall that the ADC Leisure, Tourism and Infrastructure Working Group recommended that the Swimming and Sports Centre should be refurbished in situ.( see Option 2 below)
Please note that a new 'Option 3 Revised Recommendation' has now been added to the considerations
1b. Provide New or Improved Leisure Centre for Littlehampton
STAGE 1
This is required in the short term
Upgrade the existing Littlehampton Swimming and Sports Centre (up to a value of £350,000)
.to improve its condition and financial performance for the next 8 years
STAGE 2
Option 1 – Original recommendation
Seek to build a new leisure centre in north Littlehampton (the precise location to be
determined) by 2020 which offers more facilities and better leisure provision than the current
centre and is the preferred way forward. The existing centre will not close unless and until
the new leisure centre is ready to open. If it proves to be impossible to fund a new centre at a
suitable location ADC will plan a more substantial reconfiguration and modernisation of the
existing centre to be implemented by 2020
Option 2 – Leisure Tourism & Infrastructure recommendation
Substantial reconfiguration and modernisation of the existing centre to be implemented by
2020.
Option 3 – Revised recommendation
Seek to build a new, larger leisure centre in Littlehampton which offers more facilities and a
higher standard of leisure provision to meet the needs of future generations. The precise
location to be determined but could be on local authority owned land around the Cornfield
Close area of Littlehampton or on the existing site on Littlehampton seafront. The current
centre should not close until the new facility is ready to open.
( For Information - Cornfield Close is just north of the Academy School and south of the A259 )
On the Windmill the recommendation remains
STRATEGY 3
TO ENHANCE LITTLEHAMPTON’S SEAFRONT AND RIVERSIDE
3a. Facilitate delivery of a hotel, cinema and restaurant
Seek to enable development that looks to provide a mix of uses either on St. Martins Car
Park or at the Windmill site.
Hope to see some of you at the meeting on Monday
January 2013 - Inspire Leisure stops screening Films at the Windmill
About two months earlier than originally announced , Inspire Leisure pulled the plug on cinema at the Windmill. This motivated the embryonic Cinema Club to set out to find ways to get the premises into use again, with a view to finding ways to improve the quality and appeal of what was on offer, to draw in larger audiences.
Following the Public meeting on 2nd October 2012, a Working Group was set up to co-ordinate action on the Public Response to the Draft Leisure Policy. The idea was that the needs of all interested users of both the Windmill and Swimming / Sports Complexes would be taken into account, and a joint policy would be developed and implemented, however there was never any communication between the Chairman and the parties involved in setting up the October meeting. The outcome was that a unilateral agreement was worked out that only catered for theatrical interests, comprising an undertaking by ADC to provide for live theatre in future development of St Martin's Car Park. This meant that Cinema customers and enthusiasts were side-lined in the negotiations with the District Council, and had to re-group with other users of the two Complexes to try to work out a future fro the Windmill that would encompass all users. An interim solution was successfully achieved about a year later.
Plans for St Martin's Car Park no longer include any performance spaces.
October 2012
The Littlehampton Leisure Action Group consists of representatives of user groups and interested parties who came forward to volunteer after the 2nd October Public Meeting. It held its first formal meeting on 23rd October 2012, where it constituted itself and elected the Officers and Working Group, who are....
Chairman ............... Tim Kimber - Vice Chairman............... Alan Moss - Secretary ............... Penny Rendell
Working Group Members ............... Venetta Rose, Damone Whittle, Emma Clothier, Kelly Manchee, John Baldwin, Janet Crosley, Diane Bayley, Tom Silverson, Lesley & Bryan Mercer