Tadley councillors divided over funding for sports complex

At a meeting of Tadley Town Council’s finance and general purposes committee, councillors voted three in favour and three against an application from Barlows Park Management Association for a £7,000 grant towards the running costs of Barlows Park sports complex and playing fields in Silchester Road.
The sports complex serves 3,500 people in Berkshire and Hampshire, including Tadley, Basingstoke and Reading.
The chairman Mike Broad’s casting vote was called on to decide the issue, which went in favour of a £5,000 grant, plus a further £2,000 match-funding if the association could find an additional £2,000 elsewhere.
The decision followed a lengthy debate.
Councillor John Moss said that the facility, with 30 to 40 voluntary staff and one part-time paid member of staff, was originally designed as a multi-purpose sports facility, making provision for hockey and bowls, but its main use had become for football, with Tadley Calleva Football Club a major user.
Mr Moss said: “They are using it to full capacity, but to limited use.”
He added that Basing-stoke and Deane Borough Council was also subsidising the facility, and had put in £10,000 this year, questioning what would happen if they pulled the plug on funding support.
Councillor Avril Burdett said that she was disappointed that the association was not doing more to raise funds for the facility, which the town council had supported financially since 2007.
“It’s a lot of money every year and by now I would have expected them to find other sources and not come to us for this massive amount.”
Councillor Claire Ballard said that the association was staffed by volunteers, to cut running costs.
She added: “It’s a very good facility and very well used. If we don’t support something like this, it will have to close.”
After the meeting, the secretary of the association, Sandy Russell, refused to comment on the issue, which goes before the full town council for a final decision on Monday.