Branksome resident Jeff Williams sets out his vision for Branksome Rec. You can enter the debate by leaving your comments below...

Community sports facilities for all ...

We need a campaign to get the best for Branksome Rec, not a campaign to kill off all possibilities.

A great deal of controversy has been thrown up in Branksome with the proposal of Poole Town Football Club to relocate to Branksome recreation ground.

Is the Borough of Poole giving away a large chunk of a public recreation ground to a private company, or is the Borough of Poole and PTFC investing in public sports facilities for the benefit of everyone in Branksome ?

In the absence of further information from Poole council the answer is far from clear. This in turn is leading to widespread fears and speculation.

For management of the project so far I would give Poole council and PTFC 0 out of 10. Poole council and lead Cllrs in particular have told us next to nothing. It might help then to start at ground zero and layout what facilities are at Branksome rec currently, how people would like to the rec to develop, and how a new football ground might (or might not) be accommodated.

Branksome rec is some 700 metres by 270 metres. It has five football pitches all of which become saturated with ground water and unplayable whenever it rains. Matches are frequently called off. There is also a near useless ancient ugly dilapidated pavilion. I don't think there is anyone in Branksome who would not agree it needs pulling down and rebuilding. And there is a youth club with a very poor condition run down hard court - frequently fought over by youngsters for football and basketball.

And that is it for Branksome "recreation" ground. Some 36 acres of featureless flat often water-logged field which could hardly offer more limited poor quality recreation and sports facilities for any community.

From this starting point of "what we have" I would hope that most in Branksome would like to think positively what could be achieved at the rec for the benefit of everyone. Take a look at other recreation grounds and parks and take note of what Branksome rec does not have, but could have.

To start with, like Poole park, why not a central pavilion and terrace cafe - to give the rec an attractive central feature. And has anyone visted any recreation ground in UK which does not have tennis courts ? Yet here we are with the Olympics four years off and Branksome does not have one tennis court. And why not a bowling green ? Again, isn't this a recreation feature which most recs and parks have to offer ? And why not more facilities for families and children - like a pond or paddling pool, with seating and picnic tables.

And of course the football. The rec is large enough to take twelve football pitches ((100m x 70m). PTFC would like to bring in one modern pitch, with seating. Is that really an unbearable loading on the rec ? Or is it not, as many sports people see it, a matter of bringing in what has been badly needed for decades. An attractive enclosed pitch to play football, with seating for spectators to watch the match.

I would hope that people in Branksome, especially near the rec, will petition council not to stop PTFC relocation, but to offer to the people of Branksome a good all round package of modern sports facilities. If PTFC can be accommodated then surely, for the benefit of local residents, the pitch can be off-set and screened with extensive new tree planting. And surely gate attendance numbers can be set by agreement or contract, and will in any case be limited by seating. And so too with other objections, surely parking and all else can be managed and organised to give us attractive new facilities, especially for young people, with minimum inconvenience and disturbance to local residents.