Stompond Lane Sports Ground to move to Waterside Drive?

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Tomorrow evening ( 7pm Wednesday 19^th October)  the Elmbridge Council Cabinet will discuss a paper recommending that consultants are hired to advise on a planning application to create a new sports development at Waterside Drive next to the Xcel Leisure Complex.

The outline brief is to create a dual aspect spectator stand to accommodate the needs of Walton Casuals, Walton and Hersham Football Club, and Walton Athletics Club.

Walton and Hersham FC and Walton Casuals would share the existing Walton Casuals pitch and there would be new pitches laid out for Junior football games. On the other side of the spectator stand, there would be a new 8 lane Athletics Track and associated facilities. There would be extra parking facilities, and a landscaped informal park “catering for dog walkers, picnics, children’s playground and walking trails”.

By implication, Walton Tennis Club would stay on at their Stompond Lane premises.

The substantial sum of £65,000 is to be set aside to pay for the consultants, which is the only indication available to members of the public how significant this development is likely to be.

Many questions remain to be answered. The paper indicates there have been informal discussions with Walton and Hersham FC and Walton Athletics Club on this matter, but not what their views are on such a move.  What would happen to the Stompond Lane site? How would the costs of this development be shared between the Council and the Clubs?  Would there be improved public transport facilities for the new development?

So far the Council has been very coy about this project. It held a widely advertised  “Let’s talk Elmbridge” Event at the Walton Day Centre last week but there was not even a mention of this project. If such a major project is to be successful, the Council will need to be more open in how it deals with local residents.

Chris Sadler