A PROPOSAL by an Alton-based development company that consideration be given to a site at Wolfs Lane, Chawton, as a “practical” and “cost saving” alternative for the building of a new fit-for-purpose sports centre for the town has been dismissed by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC).

Mindful of the cost in time and money spent so far, in a statement EHDC has confirmed that it is definitely “not looking at any new sites at this stage” in the development process.

The proposal, submitted on November 22 by Richard Masters, director of Elstream Management Ltd, puts forward a site in Wolfs Lane, owned by the company, and currently used as “scrub pasture with limited agricultural use” having been left as the result of the construction of the Alton bypass in 1971 which dissected a larger field.

Lying part in Alton and part in Chawton, the field is outside the South Downs National Park and is described as “regularly shaped with consistent topography and a large road frontage” which would “enable an efficient development with best use of space”.

Located less than half a mile from the current sports centre site which, Mr Masters points out, is served by the “bottleneck” which is Chawton Park Road, fed by the A339 Whitedown Lane at one end and the A31 via Northfield Lane at the other, the Wolfs Lane site would be more easily accessible, using as it would the A339 Selborne Road/Wolfs Lane junction which “does not have these congestion problems”.

And he added: “The Wolfs Lane site also has the advantage of flanking the A31 which means a direct access road could be constructed.”

Furthermore, he said the new sports centre could be built on the Wolfs Lane site without disturbing the users of the current sports centre.

Importantly, in Mr Masters’ opinion, “significant savings could be made due to the Wolfs Lane site being regularly shaped with consistent topography and a large road frontage. Additional savings could be made as construction would not need to work round the existing sports centre and also there would be no demolition costs, which could be substantial”.

He also believes it would be good news for Chawton.

“For a considerable period Chawton Parish Council and the local community have been looking for a solution to the problems caused by the parking of cars and coaches by visitors to the village,” he said.

“Our site would allow the synergy of having a dual-purpose car park which could be used by users of the sports centre and also visitors to the village, which could help alleviate congestion problems in the village.

“We understand a similar arrangement works successfully in Stratford-upon-Avon for visitors to William Shakespeare attractions.

“Additionally, the new sports centre could incorporate a visitor/tourist information office to serve the needs of Chawton and the bordering South Downs National Park. This could also benefit the new sports centre as it could bring extra customers to use the sporting, leisure and catering facilities, and with it a boost to the local economy.”

On the question of site procurement, Mr Masters said that Elstream Development Ltd would consider selling the site or granting a long lease.

“Alternatively, a land-swap arrangement with Alton Town Council is discussable whereby we would exchange the Wolfs Lane site for the existing sport centre site. This would be done on a staggered completion basis in order to ensure the continuity of the current sports centre during the period of construction of the new centre.”

Believing it to be a “win-win situation” for the town, Elstream suggests the development on the Wolfs Lane site could provide “a better sports centre, with potentially greater usage and income” and that there is the potential to make “significant cost savings” while delivering the fit-for-purpose sports centre the local community desires.

And the company is calling on EHDC to “take the opportunity to enter into discussion with Everyone Active to re-evaluate the situation”.

Commenting on this latest twist in the saga of the town’s new sports centre, Alton and District Sports Council chairman Joe Walters said: “I have no interest in the Wolfs Lane site other than it offers EHDC an option to move the proposed new sports centre away from the inadequate and confining site that’s being proposed and to awaken Alton Town Council to the potential of centralising a number of much-needed community assets all on one site.”

On behalf of the Alton Society, Rod Eckles pointed out that this option of the Wolfs Lane site was considered by EHDC’s appointed consultants (SLC) in their report dated July 10, 2013.

Mr Eckles said: “At the time, we believe it was rejected mainly because EHDC did not own or control the site and so would have to pay substantially for the land as well as for extra services, new access, parking spaces etcetera. No flood-risk assessments were carried out at that time.”

And he added that while the Alton Society is “not in a position to judge whether the potential difficulties can be solved, on the face of it it would provide the potential for a larger sports centre, although it would mean a two-year-plus delay”.