Green signal for Woodcote High athletics track
After having been through a prolonged controversy, primarily due to the paucity of funds, the proposal to build a world-class athletics field, Track Coulsdon, has been given a go-ahead signal in Coulsdon.
Performance is closely associated to sporting equipment and the facilities available to the athletes. Thus, despite the financial constraints, the authorities, Councillors to be specific, decided to vote in favour of the proposal.
During the voting process, that took place this Thursday, nine out of ten Councillors decided to favour the Track Coulsdon.
According to the news, the new track that is to be built soon, will be at par with international standards and will comprise of eight-lanes. The new proposal will also include the construction of football pitches for Woodcote High.
Besides the financial constraints, neighbours and community members’ concerns also needed to be taken under consideration. Coming out of such a sensitive situation and making a constructive decision simultaneously, was not a small deal.
Addressing the reservations of the community members who were opposing the project, a planning officer, said that the new construction will not create high levels of light, traffic or noise that the people fear.
Sharing his views, one of the Councillors, Chris Wright said, “After a long deliberation, I think this is a suitable development. It is also a tremendous one for sport and for the youth in the area. The first time in my history, I really have considered
this”.
Another Councillor, Jason Perry, who had voted for the approval of the plans, said, “Schools are increasingly looking to provide services to the wider community. We need to find a balance between local residents and schools expanding. On balance I think
what we have is a good facility. It seems that they have tried to listen to the views of local residents”.
However, one of the community members who was against the project, while presenting his case, stated that the school had hot made a case for such an extensive facility anywhere.
He said that he was rather disappointed over the fact that equal weights had been given to the view points of the people living miles away from the venue of the stadium and those who were living in the neighbourhood.
Nonetheless, the facility is expected to yield fruitful results as a whole. Whether it was a wise decision or not, only fate will tell once the project is fully operational and running.
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