Aldingbourne residents consulted about future of Community Sports Centre

With the facilities at Aldingbourne Community Sports Centre (ACSC) now over 40 years old a survey is being undertaken to find out the views and ideas of residents about what it should provide for the future.

The Centre trustees and Aldingbourne Parish Council have formed a working party to look at how best to re-build the Centre to best serve the needs of the parish into the future. The survey asks what facilities and activities residents and users would like to see incorporated into a new centre building. People are asked to return it by Monday 28th March. 

Chairman of trustees Jonathan Leahy explained “This is an exciting time to become involved in shaping the project. The Centre has only one meeting room. It’s used by Hopscotch Pre-School during the daytime and by local organisations in the evening, so it has no spare capacity for new activities. The kitchen is too small to cater for larger functions, the entrance very narrow.  With the help of the Parish Council, we are making a short-term improvement to improve toilet access for disabled people, but major improvements would be needed to make the building more energy efficient and more welcoming as a “drop-in Centre” or café for parents with young children and older people.  

We need to know what local people would like to take part in and what they and current users of the building and the site wish for in the way of facilities to make sure that the design of new facilities meets their needs for the foreseeable future.” 

Chairman of Aldingbourne Parish Council, Michael Warden, said “The Centre and facilities on the Recreation Field at Olivers Meadow provide a fantastic range of activities, all of which welcome new members and young people. However, the Centre building doesn’t have the flexible spaces needed to accommodate new activities or more use. With new housing development bringing a growing population we need evidence to show developers and other funders that investment is needed in our facilities.  

To help us work out how best to re-build the Centre facilities we have engaged architect Richard Atkinson, who has designed several attractive new halls and major refurbishments, including those at Barnham, Boxgrove, Oving and Fishbourne.  

Action in rural Sussex, who have helped all these village halls, have assisted in the design of this survey, which households should receive by 8th March and can be completed online from 4th March. The results will be available together with plans and photos of other halls at a public meeting from 6pm onwards on 25th May 2022, when there will be an opportunity to discuss the project and get more feedback.” 

Facilities at ACSC include a play area, Barnham Trojans Football Club, Bognor Regis Model Railway Club and Signal Box, Aldingbourne Tennis Club, Bowls Club and Rifle Range.  

Further information can be obtained from any of the Centre Trustees, by ringing 01243 940138, via the Parish Council at clerk@aldingbourne-pc.gov.uk or Faustina Bayo at Faustina.Bayo@ruralsussex.org.uk.