A NUMBER of councillors have supported Alton and District Sports Council and the Alton Labour Party in calling on the town council to host an emergency meeting to discuss the terms of reference for the Alton Sports Centre project development board.

Set up by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) to provide an opportunity for interested parties to have input into “how users and clubs are to be accommodated within the new building”, the idea for the project development board was first mooted in a letter from EHDC leader Richard Millard during an extraordinary Alton Town Council meeting in July.

The meeting was called to determine the town council’s response to EHDC’s proposals for Alton’s new sports centre, based on a public consultation organised by the town council.

Mr Millard’s letter flagged up the need to provide a facility that was “future proofed” to accommodate a growing population and one that focused on youth provision and competitive club sport as well as social users.

A long time in coming, the first meeting was due to be held last Thursday but it seems the terms of reference will promote discussion over “the products, services and programming activity within the new centre” and not the facility mix, and this, for most, was the key reason for the board.

Feeling misled and concerned that the offering of a project development board may have swayed the decision of Alton Town Council to support EHDC’s proposals for the new sports centre, Alton Liberal Democrat leader Pam Jones believes the town council should consider reviewing that decision. And she has joined with a Tory councillor to formally ask for a meeting of Alton Town Council to consider this issue.