Issue - meetings

Recommendation CE 24/27 of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee of 17 July 2024 in respect of the Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground Management Plan 2024-2028.

(Annex 3 – The Management Plan can be viewed as part of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee agenda)

Consideration was given to recommendation CE 24/27 of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee of 17 July 2024 in respect of the draft Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground Management Plan.

Cabinet had due regard to the views of the Scrutiny Select Committee, the financial and value for money considerations, the legal implications and noted the changes proposed to the draft Management Plan, with particular reference made to the representativeness of the Tonbridge Sports Association, which would be taken into consideration when consultation was to be undertaken for review of any management plans in the future.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the proposed amendments to the draft Management plan, as set out in Annex 2, be approved, subject to amending the proposed responses in respect of footpaths and active travel to read ‘unlikely to be realistic’; and

(2)          the draft Management Plan for Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground 2024-28 (attached at Annex 3) be approved.

(Decision Notice D240088CAB)

Consideration was given to recommendation CE 24/27 of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee of 17 July 2024 in respect of the draft Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground Management Plan.

Cabinet had due regard to the views of the Scrutiny Select Committee, the financial and value for money considerations, the legal implications and noted the changes proposed to the draft Management Plan, with particular reference made to the representativeness of the Tonbridge Sports Association, which would be taken into consideration when consultation was to be undertaken for review of any management plans in the future.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the proposed amendments to the draft Management plan, as set out in Annex 2, be approved, subject to amending the proposed responses in respect of footpaths and active travel to read ‘unlikely to be realistic’; and

(2)          the draft Management Plan for Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground 2024-28 (attached at Annex 3) be approved.

This report brings forward comments received as part of the public consultation exercise on the draft Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground Management Plan. The Committee is invited to consider the responses and make recommendations on any proposed amendments to the Plan to Cabinet.

Due to its size, the Management Plan (Annex 3) is published as a supplement.

The report of the Director of Street Scene, Leisure and Technical Services presented comments received as part of the public consultation exercise on the draft Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground Management Plan.

A summary of the comments received, Officer responses and any proposed changes were detailed in Annex 2 and these were given careful consideration by the Committee.  It was noted that the responses covered a variety of topics including active travel, improvements to the children’s play area, biodiversity, footpath widening, reuse of the bowling green area, tennis court improvements and flooding.

There was detailed discussion on footpaths which respondents felt needed to be widened to accommodate pedestrians, runners, cyclists, prams and disabled buggies.  Whilst the comments were noted, a full widening project was unlikely to be realistic though consideration could be given to discrete sections as projects came forward.   It was noted that a correction was required in Annex 2 to change ‘likely to be realistic’ to ‘unlikely to be realistic’. 

Members hoped that a number of issues could be considered as part of the Management Plan and these included encouraging more volunteers to the site, creating more activities for young people and addressing the issues around the use of the slipway impacting on the Borough Council owned car park.   

Other points raised for future consideration related to improved security and lighting and cycle paths. With regard to the latter, Members were advised that project 62 in the Action Plan committed to a review of cycling provision on site.

*RECOMMENDED:  That it be commended to Cabinet that

(1)             the proposed amendments to the draft Management plan, as set out in Annex 2,  be approved, subject to amending the proposed responses in respect of footpaths and active travel to read ‘unlikely to be realistic’.

(2)             the draft Management Plan for Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground 2024-28 (attached at Annex 3) be approved.

*Recommended to Cabinet