BOROUGH OF POOLE

Hamworthy East and West and Poole Town Area Committee

WEDNESDAY 8th OCTOBER 2008

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF LEISURE SERVICES

ITEM FOR INFORMATION

INSTALLATION OF A REBOUND WALL, FOOTPATH AND TENNIS COURT FENCING AT HAMWORTHY PARK

1 / Purpose of Report
1.1 / To provide information to the Area Committee on the installation of a rebound wall facility, construction of a new footpath and new fencing of the existing tennis court at Hamworthy Park.
2 / Introduction
2.1 / The management plan for Hamworthy Park, written by Leisure Services in 2005, identified various works to improve the park. Leisure Services are now seeking to implement two of these schemes, plus a third received via a ‘Green Card’.
2.2 / First, the construction of a new tarmac footpath from the car park to the café and paddling pool area. This will provide a direct link between two key areas of the park, meaning that people do not have to walk over the grass, or take a long route around the promenade.
2.3 / Second, the existing tennis court will be fenced at both ends to help speed up ball collection and make the court more user friendly.
2.4 / Third, a ‘Green Card’ request was received from a Hamworthy West Councillor to install a ‘rebound wall’ in the Park.
3 / Information
3.1 / The footpath would be 1.5m wide, tarmac with concrete edgings running from the eastern side of the car park to the café/toilets area, with the exact design and line of the path to be determined.
3.2 / The fencing for the tennis courts will be either metal or chainlink, 2-3m high, at either end of the tennis court.
3.3 / The rebound wall is a painted metal structure and consists of a football goalmouth surrounded by panels that include a target practice area, basketball hoop and cricket stumps. It would be set into a tarmac surface, which extends approximately 15m by 15m and has relevant sports markings on it.
3.4 / Three other rebound walls have been installed elsewhere in the Borough and have been well received. In Hamworthy Park it will help to alleviate the current problems of young people playing football against the back of the café and damaging the building.
3.5 / Hamworthy Park already has ‘kick about’ goals on the grass and the rebound wall will provide further sporting activity in the park as it caters for football, basketball and cricket and in particular provide a focus for teenagers.
3.6 / Leisure Services intend to install the rebound wall that will provide a valuable piece of play equipment for young people and families to the rear of the café (see plan attached for location). This location has been chosen as it is visible from the road and protects the café from damage by footballs which would continue if the new rebound wall was sighted in a more remote part of the park.
3.7 / The schemes are consistent with the Borough of Poole’s Corporate Objective: Promoting Health and Wellbeing and Poole’s Open Spaces Strategy policies PO 20 Use open space to promote community development, healthy living, social cohesion and inclusion.
3.8 / At current prices there is sufficient funds in the Hamworthy East Casual play and Amenity Open Space fund to fund all three projects.
4 / Conclusion
4.1 / The management plan was extensively consulted on with local people, ward councillors and friends groups so there is no need for further consultation for the tennis court fencing and footpath.
4.2 / The rebound wall has not been consulted upon, but the Friends of Hamworthy Park voted unanimously on the project and the proposal is supported by Ward Councillors.
4.3 / Feedback from this Area Committee meeting will be reported to a future Planning Obligations Sub Group.

CLIVE SMITH

HEAD OF LEISURE SERVICES

Contact Officers:

Martin Whitchurch, Greenspace Development Officer

Tel No: (01202) 261323

Background Papers: None

Version 1 14th January 2008 Page 1