THE QUESTION OF a Thurrock Sports Hub goes before the ruling Labour cabinet on Wednesday evening.
It is nearly three years since a feasibility study was conducted regarding whether there was scope for the development of a “community sports and wellbeing hub” in the borough.
Schemes and ideas have come and gone. The Terry Venables Academy of Dreams in Aveley seems to have evaporated.
However, the whole issue of a hub seems to be now an issue that council leader John Kent wants to push along at speed rather than kick into the long grass.
The report that goes before cabinet appears to favour a site at Blackshots.
However, capital costs of such a site may cost in the region of £34 million.
Many of the sports clubs in the area have show interest. Thurrock Rugby Club had over 300 supporters at their first game of the season and have stressed that they can be a club matching Premiership clubs such as Gloucester and Exeter, which have smaller populations than Thurrock.
There will also be the question of a football stadium or hub. The report stresses that they council have to consider the needs of all five clubs in the borough.
The report also indicates that the land may be facilitated but it is then for the organisations to come up with the financing.
Grays Athletic are keen to return into the borough and representatives have held talks. The fans dreams may well depend on the role that Weston Homes may wish to play now that they have built on the old Bridge Road ground.
There may well be objectors in the local area. When the DC put on a display for the North Grays design brief a few years ago, it was the idea of building on Blackshots that was the object of many of the residents ire.
I wonder what Cllr Joy Redsell will say about this?
She is very keen to suport her developer friends build blocks of flats and lorry parks across the borough – I wonder if she will support a facility that will benefit the residents for a change?
As it is in her ward and doesn’t involve lorries or flats she will probably oppose it!
I thought Blackshots was covered by a covenant, this is what prevented Grays Athletic moving onto the are when they first approached the council?
It will be difficult to accomodate a football ground within this complex (if it ever gets built) as we have 5 teams that will be looking to secure this state of the art stadium, also if any team were to get this it should go to the most successful team at the time which is at present Thurrock I believe!!
Lambo – the farmers fields past the sports stadiums have no such covenant? Plenty of room for a sports hub there.
Thanks for clearing that bit up Dave…