St Albans City and District Council has submitted planning applications for new bowls and golf pavilions at Batchwood to replace those destroyed by fire last year.
These have to meet strict development criteria for buildings in the green belt. The tendering process for the rebuilding of the golf and bowls clubs will begin shortly.
A separate detailed planning application for the tennis centre will be submitted later in the autumn. Our insurers have indicated that they will only fund a ‘like-for-like’ replacement of the tennis centre. However, the Council is applying for funding for an enhanced facility mix.
A funding bid has been submitted to the Lawn Tennis Association and the Tennis Foundation’s Places to Play Fund for capital works. A separate bid is also being made to the Sport England Iconic Fund.
If the bids are successful, we plan to include six indoor tennis courts, a viewing gallery, improved seating, a gym with 35 cardiovascular exercise stations and a separate gym for free weights. We are also exploring funding opportunities for a combat zone that will provide an area for judo, fencing, boxing, wrestling and taekwondo.
Councillor Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Heritage and Leisure
St Albans City and District Council, said: “In the last year, the Council has worked hard to get leisure activities up and running again at Batchwood. Within days of the fire, we opened the golf course and, shortly after, started indoor tennis again after erecting a bubble over the external courts.
“The Council has also been exploring funding opportunities for enhanced leisure facilities for Batchwood. Once we know the outcome of these bids, we will then be able to proceed with our plans to rebuild the centre. In the meantime, we will be the tendering out the contract to build the new bowls and golf clubs.”
Councillor contact:
Councillor Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Heritage and Leisure
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01582 764688
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Media and Internal Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Notes:
The planning application reference numbers are:
• Bowls club - 5/2012/2196
• Golf Club - 5/2012/2201
Picture captions:
An artist's impression of proposed Batchwood Bowls Club (above)
An artist's impression of proposed Batchwood Golf Club (left)