Leisure centre plan scrapped

Plans for a 10-pin bowling alley, junior gym and mezzanine floor at the Willowbrook Leisure Centre in Ladygrove have been scrapped after the bid was rejected. The centre will continue with proposals for a children's soft-play area.

Didcot Town Council announced their vision for improvements to the sports complex last summer.

Town council leader Margaret Davies said: "Of course it's disappointing.

"The lottery is very oversubscribed. But we're continuing to look at a soft-play area, which would be self-funding because people would pay to use it.

"We want more active residents, to get everyone involved in sport and expand the range of activities.

"The Willowbrook Centre is a good building. It's well-used."

The plans were put together to get young people off the streets and playing sport. A study last year said something must be done to increase usage and income at the centre.

Manager Julio Barresi said: "There are still plans in progress for the centre, which receives a grant from the town council.

"We would like to make general, multi-purpose improvements, starting with a soft-play area for children."

The council is keen to reduce the annual grant it gives to SOLL Leisure to run the leisure centre, which is rising year on year.

The proposals for the leisure centre were part of a wider vision to improve sports facilities in Ladygrove, in partnership with Didcot Town Football Club.

Last summer, Didcot Town Council started negotiations with the club aimed at building an all-weather football pitch at the Loop Meadow stadium.

Didcot Town FC manager John Bailey said no bid was made for a pitch, but insisted the club was keen to use its land to benefit the community.

He said: "We've got 13 acres of land and we want to use it. We're the only community football club around with no all-weather football pitch."

Last year councillors went on a fact-finding mission to a similar complex in Hailsham, East Sussex, which had won lottery funding.