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A new gym, a fitness studio doubling as community space, a climbing facility and Padel tennis courts are among the proposed improvements for Odd Down Sports Ground revealed in a public consultation launched today.
Bath & North East Somerset Council has allocated £700,000 of investment to upgrade the site in Bath and is asking residents to have their say on which facilities they think are most important.
The new studio and gym are hoped to encourage more daytime visitors to enjoy the site, which currently is mainly used at evenings and weekends. The studio would also be used as a space for community events.
A new reception area at the front of the building and an additional pedestrian and cycle entrance, linking up with an accessible path around the site, would make the site easier for people to visit on foot or by bike.
The plans also include new parking spaces and areas for overflow parking at busy times.
The proposals for the new facilities are:
- A gym
- A fitness studio/community space
- An enclosed, sheltered external gym area
- A new reception area at the front of the building
- More energy-efficient lighting for the existing floodlights
- Improvements to parking to stop parking on residential streets during peak times or events
- A Changing Places-standard accessible toilet, with a changing trolley, a height-adjustable hoist and a peninsular toilet suitable for wheelchair users
- A climbing facility
- Padel tennis courts
- A perimeter walking/running trail
- Outdoor natural play areas
The project is a collaboration between the council and its leisure partner Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL). The council will provide £600,000 of capital funding for the project and £100,000 from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allocations. The fit out will be funded by GLL with the tennis courts and climbing options funded by GLL’s partners.
You can respond to the consultation here
Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, and Communities, said: “These proposed improvements will offer greater accessibility to better sports facilities for residents at Odd Down, helping to improve people’s health and wellbeing. We want to hear from you about what you would like to see on offer, so please have your say in our consultation. We’re also holding some drop-in sessions so you can come and talk to us about the plans.
“The sports ground is already busy on evenings and weekends but we would like to see more people enjoying the leisure facilities during the day. We know that parking can be an issue so we will carry out a traffic assessment and travel plan before finalising the proposals.”
The drop-in sessions at Odd Down Sports Ground will take place on:
- Friday 17 June – 3pm to 8pm
- Saturday 18 June – 1.30pm to 4pm
Odd Down Sports Ground is one of five sites managed by GLL in B&NES and currently includes a 1.5km cycle track, a 3G pitch, grass pitches, a cricket square and a car park. The site also features a building with changing rooms, toilets, a café area and a multi-purpose Community Room.
