Future of Pavilion Project defended as council rethinks scheme
THE future of a proposal for a new sports pavilion in Winchester has been raised at council meeting. This newspaper has reported uncertainty over the £590,000 project for North Walls Recreation Ground, with the city council reviewing its commitment to the community-led project. Kim Gottlieb, former councillor, asked council leader Cllr Lucille Thompson: “The North Walls pavilion is a jewel of a building, and being involved with its progress, was one of the things I most enjoyed in my time as a councillor.
“It is not just the wonderful facility it would provide for residents across the city, and beyond, but that it shows how the Council could ‘work with the community’ as it says on the leaflet.
“It would also show that the council was prepared to promote high quality civic architecture, modern examples of which are few and far between. The proposal might be a very modest amount over budget, but it has the great advantage over any alternative idea, of being fully designed and costed and ready to go.
“Any alternative idea would take several years, and much more money, to bring to the same point while this proposal is, as some might say, oven-ready.
“It is understood that money is tight across the board but there are so many public benefits in progressing this scheme I would ask the leader – can she please provide an assurance that every possible effort will be made by the council to ensure that the current proposal is built and gives everyone something to celebrate in 2021?”
Source: https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/19014468.future-pavilion-project-defended-council-rethinks-scheme/