Wasps Rugby Club moves closer to building training base a year after decision not to use site on outskirts of Leamington

The club hopes to establish the centre at the former Warwickshire College site on Stratford Road which closed at the end of last year.

Plans for a change of use to create a new training facility were approved at this week’s [WED] planning meeting of Stratford District Council but will now be looked at by the Secretary of State because Sport England are unhappy that a hockey pitch will be lost as part of the redevelopment.

The rugby club’s plans have met with widespread opposition from the local community with more than 700 letters of objection including from a number of parish councils.

Many spoke about the lack of alternative facilities after an offer from Wasps to allow community use is restricted to a revamped 3G pitch and changing rooms but not the sports hall.

Roger Cooper, of the Henley Sports Centre Alliance (HSCA), told the online meeting: “The gym will be closed, the sports hall closed, the fitness studio closed.

“Wasps do not represent the only solution to the closure of this site. The HSCA has a business plan and are ready to purchase the site and run this as a community interest company. The funding is in place.”

Wasps chief executive Stephen Vaughan outlined to councillors what the rugby club would offer the community.

He said: “We have committed to a number of open training sessions to show what goes on behind the scenes at an elite sports club. Our summer camps are extremely popular and educational - we passionately believe that the social and economic benefits for Henley and the wider community will be significantly enhanced by our local involvement.”

He added that £50,000 would be handed to Beaudesert & Henley in Arden Joint Parish Council for the creation of alternative sports facilities and that 1,000 match tickets each year for the next decade would be given to schools, charities, sport clubs and community groups.

Cllr Matt Jenninigs (Con, Henley-in-Arden) said the application needed to be considered purely on planning grounds.

He added: “When a facility closes there is always disappointment from those who used it but I want someone using the site rather than it sitting empty for what could be years to come.

“We do have a community-owned sports centre in Henley and I think the parish may have forgotten about that - it is the Henley War Memorial Sports Centre which is in trust to the people of Henley.

“This has a cricket pitch, football pitches, tennis courts, bowls and a shooting range. They also house the local scouts and have a clubhouse which has planning for an extension but no funds.”

Councillors voted unanimously to grant planning permission.

The decision comes about a year after Wasps decided not to proceed with plans to build a new training base on land adjacent to Old Leamingtonians Rugby Club in Bericote Road on the outskirts of Leamington.