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Court Watch
Courts come and courts go - keeping an eye out for good and bad news
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www.bowdonclub.com
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Sep 2009:
Bowdon on the Up
Bowdon squash club is located in a lovely area of Cheshire, not far
from Manchester airport.
They employed former world number 53 Alex Stait as head coach on a
full time basis just over a year ago and have big plans for squash
development.
It has been great for Alex, as his knee injuries over the past five
years have meant he could hardly play so it has kept him in the game
and given him a real challenge.
The club only has four courts, but has around 150 juniors playing
per week at the club.
The adult section is also so busy they have plans to build two new
glass back courts and are on the road fundraising so that these
courts will hopefully be under way soon.
Bowden boasts some of the best juniors in the north west and have
three very good academies of talented juniors to take them to the
next level.
Next up is a very social and fun doubles tournament on the 18-19 of
September - anyone interested should contact Alex on staitalex@yahoo.co.uk
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 March
2008:
Victorian town to
re-launch squash competition ...
Andrew Dent reports
The Victorian town of Beechworth will regain their home town
court advantage for the first time in six months following the
decision of a squash-loving businessman to take over the lease of
the town’s squash centre.
Jason Dawson, who has taken over the lease and will reopen
the centre on April 19, plans to immediately revitalise the town’s
squash competition which includes in a league with nearby towns and
cities.
 Beechworth,
about 40 kilometres from the NSW-Victoria border city of
Albury-Wodonga, once had a thriving squash centre with a strong
league team and a healthy junior program.
However, eight years ago the then owners decided to move on, they
put the centre up for auction.
In a move familiar to squash lovers all over Australia, a developer
tried to buy the centre so it could be demolished to make way for a
residential complex.
But a group of local businesspeople stepped in and acquired the
centre so it could remain open. They added a gym and fitness centre
and leased the centre out, but the previous lessee had little
interest in squash and left the competition side to decline, meaning
the courts were only used on a hire as you go basis only. If
Beechworth squash players wanted regular competition, they had to
drive to Albury.
Dawson, who plays at the Commercial Club in Albury, said one of his
first actions would be to bring the home team back to Beechworth
after playing out of the Milawa facility, some 30kms away. That
decision has been enthusiastically received in the town of about
4000 people.
“It’s still a great centre,” Dawson said. “I want to return it to
what it once was – not just the squash side of things but the social
aspect as well.
“It’s a really good multi-purpose centre with the courts, the gym,
the fitness centre and I would be looking to establish a really nice
courtyard barbecue area which can be used for social functions..”
Dawson said he also planned to introduce a program to get juniors
back to the centre so that when the current competition players
stepped down there were people there to take their places. Dawson is
optimistic about squash’s future and says in country areas it still
plays a key role in the community.
“I have been playing in Albury for a long time now and I have seen
our competition grow each year for the past four or five years,” he
said. I think many people are coming back to it or are trying squash
because of the recent publicity about health benefits of playing
squash.”
The centre will be reopened with a celebration and family fun day on
April 19.
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COURT CLOSURE
CAMPAIGN
In the UK the Telegraph is campaigning against the closure of squash
courts and other sports facilities
With the
campaign to save sports facilities from closure gathering pace, a
leading campaigner and local councillor go head-to-head ...
Yorkshireman
blames Government for the alarming rate of sports facility closures
in the UK ...
Government
should look at case of 'Wimbledon of Squash' in City of London as to
reason why laws need tightening ...
Why the
Government must address alarming decline of our sports centres ...
Squash is
still a thriving sport in the UK and Sport England funding should
help despite attack on sports facilities ...
Sign the Telegraph's Campaign Petition |
Jan 2009, Good News:
UK:
Refurbished courts at
Spalding as Devon & Exeter bucks the trend by reconverting (?) a
court back to squash ... |
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07-Nov-08:
Squash centre closure a big loss
LEN ASHWORTH, Lithgow Mercury (Australia)
It’s been the nursery of champions for almost half a century but
despite its proud record it seems the days are numbered for an
important Lithgow sporting facility, the
Lithgow Squash Centre.
The centre that produced two world champions is set to shut its
doors next week, leaving players with nowhere to go to pursue their
sport.
The centre’s proprietors for more than 13 years, Brian and Kathy
Brennan, want to retire and have decided it is now time to act with
the lease due to expire.
Neither they nor the owner of the squash centre have up to now been
able to attract a new operator. “We need a break and want to pursue
other interests,” Mr Brennan said.
Kathy is librarian for the Lithgow Family History Society and wants
to spend more time on this demanding community service.
The closure of the Young Street Centre will remove an important
asset from the Lithgow’s district’s sporting facilities and will be
a disappointment for the large number of competition and social
players.
The centre has more than 100 regular competition players and more
than 70 students from Lithgow High, La Salle Academy and Lithgow
Primary taking part in regular school sport programs.
The Squash Centre was built by prominent Lithgow business couple
Arthur and Phyl Shawcross in 1970, introducing the sport to
Lithgow for the first time.
Their son Kevin later went on to win numerous titles and won
the British and Australian Opens before becoming World Amateur
Champion in Britain in 1975, modestly describing himself to the
British media as ‘an Australian blackberry farmer’.
Then another Lithgow Squash Centre ‘graduate’, David Palmer,
embarked on a stellar career from 2002 that saw him take out a swag
of international honours, including World Professional Championships
in 2002 and 2006 and three British Opens — the squash world’s
equivalent to Wimbledon. He is currently rated number six in the
world.
Numerous top class players were also nurtured through the Lithgow
centre. When the Shawcross family opened the centre it contained
three courts. They later added sauna facilities which were later
demolished to make way for three further courts.
It is understood the closure will not affect a martial arts
gymnasium at the rear of the centre which is leased separately. But
unless there is a last minute reprieve it appears that squash as
part of Lithgow’s day to day sporting life is finished — at least
for the foreseeable future.
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08-Sep-08:
Last chance
to save Sobell
UK:
From Islington Today
THE BATTLE to save the Sobell Centre came to a dramatic head this
week as campaigners launched a last-gasp masterplan to save it from
demolition.
Controversial plans by Islington Council will see Islington's
biggest leisure centre, in Hornsey Road, Holloway, bulldozed and
rebuilt at an estimated cost of £30million.
But this week campaigners submitted alternative draft plans for a
£12million refurbishment of the existing Sobell Centre to
councillors at the town hall, including:
* A new roof housing a 200m athletics track.
* More green space, less trees cut down and
better security for Kinloch Park.
* Better five-a-side football and badminton facilities.
* Potential for a full-size ice rink.
But the scheme does NOT include plans for a new swimming pool -
something Islington Council insists was the overriding "wish"
expressed in a public consultation answered by almost 1,500
residents and users.
Almost £11.5million plus £1.8million in Arsenal planning cash has
been ring-fenced for the rebuild scheme. The remaining £17million
will be raised by building new housing on the site.
But Gordon Kerr, director of England Squash - which with
backing from Sport England helped draft the alternative plans -
said: "It's perfectly possible to refurbish along these lines within
the £12million the council has already set aside.
"I accept we need to make it heat-efficient but that doesn't mean we
have to demolish it. You don't knock down your house if you need to
put central heating in.
"We're talking about replacing the car park with more trees and
extending Kinloch Park into a green area with more security.
"The alternative plans please the current economic climate - the
council has no guarantee it's going to get its money back from
housing."
Barry Hill, Sobell Centre user representative, added: "We're
not against housing, we're against a loss of a facility that has
3,000 visits a week. I've spoken with Aquaterra representatives of
the other sites in Islington and none feel there's a need for
another pool. The negative impact on other pools has not been
considered either."
Councillor Ruth Polling, Islington's leisure chief, said: "Sobell
was built without a pool because of Hornsey Road Baths. There's been
an expectation since that time that if the money became available
there would be a swimming pool in there."
"These alternative plans are not very developed. They've calculated
how much it would cost to put in an ice rink and running track but
there's no indication it would increase the building's lifespan. Our
options are designed to last 30 to 40 years."
She added: "No big council scheme gets away without a fair amount of
criticism but the huge response has said to us 'You're doing the
right things'."
Councillor Polling guaranteed the future of an ice rink at the
rebuilt Sobell Centre in the wake of the consultation results and
said that residents had opted for the most intensive housing
development. She said Islington Council was "monitoring" changes in
the housing market.
The results of the consultation - which featured four options for a
rebuild by the 2012 Olympics but none for refurbishment - go before
the council's ruling executive next Thursday.
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Islington Today
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OPEN LETTER TO MIDDLESEX SQUASH PLAYERS
Please reply to Barry
Hill
Dear MSRA club member. I'm sure you have used or know of the Sobell
Centre very near Arsenal's two grounds (Highbury and Emirates). This
centre is threatened with demolition.
Islington Councillors will vote on Sept 11th on the question of
whether to refurbish or demolish the large Michael Sobell Centre.
This is the biggest and probably the busiest sports facility in
London. The Consultation Exercise which ended June 30th was skewed
and highly misleading. No refurbishment option was offered to the
respondees. The respondees who ticked the box for a large centre
(much smaller than the present one and to contain a police station
and medical centre around which sports will be squeezed) were
compelled also to appear to vote for lots of housing. The Report
from LBI is misleading to the point of wilful dishonesty. They also
thought that there was no option to refurb (as the council admit)
and so they thought they had to respond to get any sports facilities
at all.
The campaign to save the centre is presently having a draft
refurbishment plan, created by architect Peter Baird, costed. The
cost is expected to be much less than the cost of a rebuild even
after the housing sale receipts. Also attached is the summary of the
skewed consultation exercise undertaken by the council and posted on
their website.
Barry Hill and I are meeting with Jeremy Corbyn MP on 10 September,
ahead of the Council Meeting to decide the future of Sobell.
Some Councillors are currently describing the refurbishment lobby as
'one or two people who do not want facilities at Sobell to be
improved' (source - local reporter).
To give Jeremy some evidence of the depth of feeling on this matter
that he can take into the Council meeting on 11 September, please
respond to Barry Hill:
a. you are in favour of refurbishment
or
b. you are in favour of a second stage consultation
with refurbishment as an option
or
c. you are in favour of replacing the existing building
with a new one
Please add your name and state whether you are a local resident
(address or postcode will be needed) and/or a Sobell user. if a
user, please state your main activity/ies.
Please forward this page to all your colleagues, asking them to
confirm their views with me by 10 September.
Please be assured that all contact information you provide will be
used only for this one purpose and will not be forwarded to any
third party (apart from Jeremy Corbyn MP). Following its use, it
will be destroyed.
Further Background
May I quote a brief summary from regular local user Richard Noble.
"As a regular user of the Sobell Centre, I want to state that I
unequivocally oppose each of the four proposals made in Islington
Council's recent 'consultation' exercise. I support refurbishment.
The Council proposes to destroy the existing Sobell Centre in order
to build a smaller one as part of a mixed housing development. Each
proposal for a “rebuild” links the size of the new Centre to the
number of units in the housing development, which means the larger
the new Centre, the more housing units they will have to build. Yet
in none of the four proposals is the new Centre to be anywhere near
the size of the existing one.
This is an unfair and irrational policy for the following reasons.
• It proposes to increase the population density of this part of the
borough while at the same time decreasing its recreational
facilities.
• The excuse offered for this is that more housing is needed in
Islington. But we need to ask two questions: housing for whom? and
why does it have to be next to the Sobell? Most of the units built
will be sold on the private market to people from outside the
borough; it is naïve to think that this project is about re-housing
Islington residents. Why should the poor, the young and working
families already living locally be denied adequate recreational
facilities so that more people from outside the borough can get
housing?
• And why does it have to be here? The redevelopment of the Arsenal
has brought hundreds of new homes and thousands of people into the
immediate catchment area of the Sobell Centre. This has already put
it under added strain, making it less easy for locals to use. It
simply beggars belief that the Council should want to house even
more people around an even smaller Centre!
• The public health benefits of recreational facilities like the
Sobell are well documented. Reducing public access to such
facilities will have a detrimental effect on public health in the
area. People will be less fit, have a lower quality of life and cost
the NHS more in treatment. A smaller Centre used by more people
makes no sense from a public health standpoint.
• The social benefits of facilities like the Sobell are also
critical given the current rise in gang-related violence. Sports
provide exercise, discipline and opportunities of cooperative
endeavour for young people, all of which is crucial to their
socialization as citizens. Again, a smaller centre used by more
people will inevitably exclude the young from getting access to the
kinds of programmes they need.
• Cutting the provision of sports facilities will disadvantage young
Islington athletes who aspire to compete in the Olympics. The recent
success of our Athletes in Beijing proves how important good,
accessible sports facilities like the existing Sobell centre are for
recruiting Olympic athletes. Why does Islington Council want to deny
our athletes the chance to achieve Olympic glory?
• Finally, the Sobell Centre provides green space that could be
developed to offer residents a place to enjoy the outdoors as well
as exercise and sport. It could also provide habitat for a variety
of species that thrive within urban parks. Given the current density
of our population in Islington, achieving a better balance between
housing development and green space should be a priority for the
Council. The destruction of green space for ever more housing
developments is the policy of short term gain for long term pain,
identical to the policy of selling off school playing fields to pay
for new buildings.
Refurbishment, combined with the development of the green space
around the existing Centre, suffers from none of these problems. As
a policy it preserves the quality of life for those already living
in the borough, as opposed to selling it (and us) down the river for
yet another unjust, architecturally retarded, environmentally
disastrous housing development.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Richard Noble
41 Hartham Road
London N7 9JJ
Regards
Please reply to Barry
Hill
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24-Jul:
Flintshire squash courts closure slammed as
'sacrilege'
Wales: Evening
Leader - Wrexham,Wales,UK
SQUASH courts hailed as the best in Flintshire are to be axed
to make way for a new youth club. The two squash courts at
Flint Pavilion are scheduled to ... |
26-Jul-08:
Squash
courts to go
UK: Somerset
County Gazette - Taunton, England
In view of the fact that the proposed changes will mean the closure
of the squash courts at Blackbrook, the motion also set out
intentions to explore ... |
18-Jul-08:
Squash court hopes dashed
UK: By Alex Cameron,
Somerset County Gazette
HOPES that Taunton's last public squash courts had won a stay of
execution were dashed today, amid fears that postponing their
demolition would cost taxpayers up to £500,000.
The move comes in the aftermath of huge public opposition to plans
by Tone Leisure, which operates sports centres in Taunton and
Wellington on behalf of Taunton Deane Council, to close its crèches,
alter subsidies to older people, and replace the squash courts at
Blackbrook Pavilion with a bigger gym.
As reported, at a meeting of the full Taunton Deane Council on
Tuesday, a motion tabled by the leader of the Conservative
opposition, Cllr John Williams, was passed by 26 votes to 21.
The terms of the motion were to provide Tone Leisure with enough
money so it can retain the crèches and subsidies to older people.
The motion also appeared to be a stay of execution for the squash
courts, saying that players should understand and accept the reasons
for their removal before the builders moved in.
But yesterday it emerged that the motion was not binding and council
red tape means only the authority's executive committee - which is
similar to the Government's cabinet - has the power to implement the
motion.
At a special meeting of the executive - which is made up only of
LibDem councillors - members passed a new resolution. The result of
the new motion is that the demolmtion of the squash courts is once
again set to go ahead as planned, starting on July 28, and that
talks with a view to retaining the crèches and the subsidies for
older people should be pursued.
Today, a council spokesman said: "The motion, although carried by a
majority of councillors, was not binding as the full council does
not have the power of implementation. Full council is responsible
for budget-setting and policy decisions only.
"The motion would have materially affected the contract between Tone
Leisure and Alliance Leisure which, if breached, would result in the
council being liable for significant financial penalties for breach
of contract.
"This matter was considered by the executive as a matter of urgency
due to contracts starting on site shortly."
Full story |
19-Jul-08:
Game over for Morecambe squash club
The Visitor - Morecambe,England,UK
By Greg Lambert
MEMBERS of Morecambe's only squash club have been left
devastated, after its manager announced it will close at the end of
the month. ...
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PEOPLE power has triumphed in a battle
to stop the axe falling on crèche facilities and discounts for the
elderly at sports centres in Taunton and Wellington.
Tone Leisure - which runs Blackbrook Pavilion, Wellsprings Leisure
Centre, Taunton, and Wellington Sports Centre on behalf of Taunton
Deane Council - sparked a storm of protest after it unveiled plans
to axe its crèches, change the rules on discounts for older people,
and replace its Blackbrook squash courts with a bigger gym.
At a raucous meeting of Taunton Deane Council this evening, members
narrowly passed a motion to give Tone Leisure enough money to
prevent the removal of the crèche facilities and the concessions to
elderly people.
The motion also said squash players should be consulted and should
accept the proposals for change before the last public courts in
Taunton are removed.
That could mean council tax payers are hit in the pocket by penalty
clauses as contractors, who were due to start removing the courts
within days, are stopped in their tracks.
Around 70 members of the public jammed into the newly renamed John
Miekle Room at Deane House to voice impassioned pleas to reverse the
decision.
They were supporting a motion tabled by Cllr John Williams, leader
of the Conservative opposition, against the changes.
Cllr Williams admitted he had been at fault, as chairman of the
council's overview and scrutiny committee, in not calling the
proposals into question previously. The motion was carried by 26
votes to 21.
After the meeting, delighted Staplegrove resident Clare Wrelton, who
has helped spearhead opposition to the crèche closures, told the
County Gazette: "I'm overwhelmed - it's fantastic news."
"All credit to Stephen Walker and his
team leading this campaign, and Lee O'Donnell of ES who hooked us up
with Stephen. We need to highlight the importance of retaining
sports facilities in the battle against obesity and also youth
violence - kids need to let off steam!"
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A PLEA TO LB ISLINGTON –
PLEASE REFURB SOBELL,
DON’T DEMOLISH
UK: Gordon Kerr, 16 July 2008
I will be brief. I’m on the Board of England Squash, the Sport
England funded national body for the sports of squash and racketball.
My role is to provide umbrella support for campaigns such as this
when individuals like Barry Hill come forward and ask for help.
In this role we are co-ordinating 42 national campaigns, some
relating to facilities even larger than this.
In a situation like this Barry and others naturally ask themselves
what is going on? How can a plan like this take shape in the minds
of the local authority, yet alone be seriously considered for
implementation later this year. The reason is sadly clear – sports
facilities are easy pickings, time and again they are sold for cash.
But decisions to sell and demolish are much harder if the community
voice there objections through a sensible and proper consultation
process. National planning guidelines emphasise the importance of
consultation processes and tonight we ask you to participate in a
new one.
Too many local authorities display flawed thinking:
a) Sport must make money and compete against other more profitable
activities; if that is the correct view why not convert all sports
facilities to housing? This is why we have a planning system, and
planning rules. My local village green in Barnet makes no money for
the local authority yet they spend £25k per annum maintaining it.
b) We must build more housing. Of course I agree, but why not
develop derelict housing and industrial sites first, not sports
facilities.
c) Leisure and sport are one and the same. Communities like
Islington need municipal sports facilities. Forgive me using the
term sport, I’m a great believer in all forms of leisure and
recreation and I’m a keen gardener, but that is not sport and the
youth in particular need sports facilities. Sport is a wonderful
outlet for the youth. Youngsters cannot use gyms. They want to play
sport. As Jeremy has stated in meetings and open letters, the
Arsenal £1.8mm JVC stadium compensation monies should be applied to
a sports facility not a generalised leisure plan such as this.
Here we have the loosest definition of leisure that I have come
across – “complementary leisure facilities” . Two examples were
provided at the meeting I attended last Monday, a medical centre and
a police counter. The leads me back to the point about consultation.
If you ask a good citizen of Islington “would you like more medical
facilities, would you like more police stations?” most responders
would answer “yes”. But how many of you would like these valuable
community facilities to replace sports facilities?
By destroying this Centre, even for a period of only two years, the
youth will lose further opportunities to develop, to socialise, to
recreate in a safe environment. Please vote against these proposals
in a new consultation that we are launching tonight. A detailed
refurb. plan will be presented within two weeks of receipt of the
documentation we have requested from LBI staff.
If the community – all of you – make your views heard and use the
facilities, the local authority will have to change their views. On
behalf of ES I’m keen to liaise with all the user groups and help
you communicate your views effectively through a balanced, Stage 2,
consultation exercise.
For now please lend your support by responding quoting your name and
email address to the choice we now present in general terms.
Motion - ES believe that £12m would fund a perfectly adequate and
popular refurb, ideally spread over a period of years to involve
minimal interference with the sports and recreation activities
taking place daily.
Agree/ Disagree
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Save Sobell Latest ...
Last night I attended a public meeting called by opposition Labour
Councils in Finsbury Park to attempt to prevent demolition of the
largest municipal sports facility in London. A main hall the size of
16 badminton courts was packed with activity shortly before the
meeting, 5 a side footballers were in action, the next 10 were
queuing. The ice rink was busy, the gym in pretty fulll use, 5 of
the 6 squash courts were in use.
LB islington also plan imminently to demolish the 4 courts at nearby
Finsbury Leisure, so a total of 10 courts under threat plus the 9
lost 2 years ago when the Lambs development was nodded through by
this same council.
A main aim of the demolition is to permit housing on the site and
rebuild the centre. But there will be nothing there for two years,
in the most economically deprived London Borough where, according to
the Council, obesity and the risk of heart attack is the worst in
London.
Of the 70 odd people at the meeting only two appeared to find any
merit in the proposal. In my speech (on the left) I focussed on
explaining that the demolition could not legally obtain planning
permission if the community strongly opposed it by responding to the
balanced consultation exercise that England Squash launched last
night.
LB Islington's attempts to manipulate the recently closed
Consultation by failing to include a refurbishment option would not
work for planning purposes.
Minute of a July 7 meeting where the point was put directly to LB
Islington with Jeremy Corbyn MP present
Sobell Meeting 7-Jul |
24-Jun-08:
London courts
under threat
UK: Gordon Kerr reports
on more threatened court closures in London |
Within the
England Squash organisation I'm a contact person for threatened
facilities. We are presently experiencing a shocking fresh wave of
attacks on a large number of built sports facilities in North
London. Squash is facing losing up to 8 courts in public community
facilities in Harrow, 6 at the Michael Sobell Centre
in Islington (adjacent to Arsenal FC's stadium), and 2 or 4 at
Finsbury Leisure Centre.
In all cases the motivation of the public sector local authority
owner is to bank a windfall land value profit whilst providing the
"public benefit" of more housing. As a general matter it is not easy
to compare the public benefit merits of housing vs sports
facilities. In a location such as Islington, a London Borough
carpeted in beautiful grey concrete, surely it cannot be difficult
to make the comparative evaluation.
How can it be argued that the community's need for a few extra flats
outweighs the benefit of a large and heavily used sports facility
containing a 5 a-side football pitch, climbing wall and 6 squash
courts? The operator at the Sobell Centre is supportive of squash.
Other operators are increasingly aware of the growing popularity of
squash and racketball and ES are receiving welcome reports of some
gyms being converted back to courts to cope with the booming demand
especially for racketball. This trend has also resulted in increased
usage of courts throughout the day.
Squashsite readers who visit the Michael Sobell Centre are urged to
follow the link and complete the e-questionnaire. This step is
essential if we are to save courts since London Borough of Islington
have hired consultants to evaluate these responses. The more surveys
received voting for an increase in the facilities from 6 to 12
courts the better our chances of preventing a "Lambs 2" situation
developing.
There is no need for readers to spend more than 5 minutes on this -
oppose all the new options and go to q10 and follow the guidance
below. Any questions email
zgordonkerr@btinternet.com
Director, England Squash
End of the line for Lambs |
WILL THEY BE HAPPY
UNTIL EVERY PUBLIC SQUASH COURT IS DEMOLISHED?
Al Robertson, Middlesex Squash
League
As if it comes as any surprise, Islington Council would like to
knock down the Sobell Public Leisure Centre and rebuild a smaller
club with no squash courts and more flats. If you, like me, and the
vast majority of squash players would like to help stop this, please
fill out the council survey.
IMPORTANT: The message will have most impact if users complete Q10
with free text specifying (copy and paste this if needed)
“Refurbishment is much cheaper, faster and easier than replacement
and, should replacement prove inevitable, at least 12 squash courts
needed in any new centre to satisfy the demand for squash”.
This will put pressure on the Islington Council Leisure Committee to
reconsider its position on these issues.
Thank you from North London Squash Players.
Sobell Centre Questionnaire |
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