Trustees News

The Basildon Sporting Village will be the best sports facility in the East of England. The Sporting Village will provide first class sports, leisure and education facilities at Gloucester Park, in the heart of the District.
The Sporting Village will be a sporting hub for the community, providing modern, ‘state of the art’ facilities for local people and others from across the region. It will be affordable and accessible to all sections of the community, from casual users to elite athletes.
Supporting the excellent outdoor facilities existing in the Park, the new facility will be located immediately to the west of the Athletics Track.
The Sporting Village will include the following sports and fitness facilities:
Indoor Facilities
A 50m, 8 lane swimming pool, with spectator accommodation for 300
Sports Hall – 8 court multi-purpose sports hall with retractable seating for 480

Gymnastics Centre – (main hall exercise area and reception, changing and office space)

Multipurpose Studio

Health and Fitness suite

Changing rooms for athletics and outdoor pitches (football, netball, cricket)

Outdoor Facilities

Retained current British Athletics Grade 1 8-lane track, seating for 750 spectators with new changing facilities

Synthetic turf pitch

Netball courts relocated from southern part of Gloucester Park

Existing Football pitches retained

Existing Cricket pitch retained

The precise size and detailed design of the facility will be agreed with the Council’s Contractor once they have been appointed, but it will be a building of high quality. Once the facility opens in 2010, it has the potential to be used as a training camp for 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Access to the Sporting Village for pedestrians and cyclists will be via improved footpaths and cycleways across Gloucester Park. Access by car, coach and public transport will be from the north, off of Cranes Farm Road.

(web ref http://www.basildonrenaissance.com/38_RegenerationProjectsArchive.html?item=7)

The Jack Petchy Foundation have generously donated £20,00 towards the setting up of the annex to South Essex Gymnastics Club. This gym will be used for to accommodate gymnastic classes for children with disabilities. Three local schools have already taken up the offer of specialised gymnastic session (there are still vacancies if any other special schools are interested).
The newly refurbished building will also be used to expand opportunities for local children who are not able to get to the early evening gymschool sessions – new classes are now running 6.00 – 7.00 pm and 7.00 – 8.00 pm every weekday evening (except Wednesday). These new classes are aimed at older children who sometimes do not finish school until later.

The building project to change the Basildon Junior Training Centre (formerly managed by the Basildon Sports Council) into an annex of the South Essex Gymnastics Club is nearly finished. At this stage the builders have made the changes necessary to comply with DDA requirements and we now have a viewing area for parents.
We are now waiting for the matting to be installed and we are calling people from our waiting lists to invite them to join the new classes which will begin on 1st October 2007.
We will also be re-starting our Special Needs Gymnastic Sessions which are run in conjunction with local Special Schools.
If your child is interested in one of these classes and their name is not on the waiting list please call us with their details and we will add them to the list.
If your child is already in a class but you would prefer one of the later classes please let us know as soon as possible and we will arrange a transfer.
Our aim in opening the gym annex is to increase the opportunities for local children by reducing our waiting lists and expanding the number and type of classes available – including the sessions for children with disabilities.

Basildon is celebrating today as the Thames Gateway Executive, part of Communities and Local Government has announced it is committing £5million for the development of the state of the art Sporting Village in Gloucester Park.

Judith Armitt, Thames Gateway Chief Executive says: “Regeneration through sport is a key way of building collective and cohesive communities and with the London 2012 Olympic Games around the corner we should take advantage of the Thames Gateway’s role in hosting the Olympic Games.

“The Sporting Village project in Basildon is a great example of local partners working together to deliver a project to raise sporting achievement, encourage healthy lifestyles and be a landmark building improving the already attractive environment of Gloucester Park. I look forward to seeing this project move forward.”

“This is terrific news and a ringing endorsement of our carefully thought out plans to create a community hub offering a wealth of activities for local people, affordable and accessible to everybody,” said Councillor Anthony Hedley, cabinet member for Leisure and Arts, who has championed the concept from the start.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reverse decades of under-funding in leisure and provide sporting inspiration to a whole new generation,” said Councillor Hedley.

“Thousands of pounds of taxpayers money is being spent propping up the district’s sports facilities with no real improvement in standards. The Sporting Village will radically improve the quality and choice of facilities available to all our residents and create a significant regional centre in time to reap the benefits of the coming Olympics”, he added.

In June, even before today’s announcement, confident councillors agreed to find a private sector partner to design, build, operate and maintain (DBOM) the proposed multi-million pound complex. A partner consortium will now be sought under new EU rules that allow for detailed negotiations with potential partners to get the best deal for the council, and the opportunity to maximise private sector investment in addition to the £25million now pledged by Basildon District Council, Essex County Council and the Government

A Prior Information Notice (PIN) will now be released across Europe to test the levels of interest and inform potential partners about the exciting project. A working partnership with the private sector, will allow maximum flexibility and freedom of manoeuvre in getting the best deal for the council and the community.

Cllr Stephen Castle, Essex County Council’s cabinet member for economic development, regeneration and the 2012 Games, said: “Essex County Council is delighted to be backing this flagship scheme to the tune of £5million. I am pleased that the Government has matched that commitment today. Not only will this marvellous facility galvanise Basildon’s regeneration, we have a wonderful chance to offer it as a preparation camp for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.”

It is envisaged the centre would include a 50 metre swimming pool, and eight court multi-use sports and events hall, gymnastics centre, fitness facilities, eight outdoor football and rugby pitches, 12 netball courts and an athletics seating area.

The facility is also planned to house a play zone, dance and martial arts studio, community rooms, climbing wall, café, bar, changing rooms and offices. It will be a landmark building with accessible facilities for local community recreation, cater for regional and national competitions and the achievement of sporting excellence. It will also set a high standard of environmental sustainability and embrace the beautiful surroundings of Gloucester Park. The centre will be family friendly with an emphasis on more than just sport and exercise. Visiting the centre will be a real family experience.

The final design will be agreed following discussions with developers and subject to further consultation through a planning application.

The idea of the Sporting Village has already received the backing of not only Basildon Council but also Essex County Council who have committed £5million, Sport England, National Governing Bodies of Sport and Thames Gateway South Essex.

The Sporting Village could be open in 2010 and could potentially be used as a training camp for the 2012 London Olympics.