The Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture has made a final decision on Weavering Heath.  As well as the facilities already announced i.e.. Trim Trail path and equipment; Dog walking track; Education/picnic area; Seating, he has agreed a sports wall on the Heath. 

This is welcome outcome and one which the members of Boxley Parish Council are pleased with.  It has been a long time coming and needs to be put in place a soon as possible.  At last the youngsters of Grove Green will have somewhere to go and kick a ball and practice their basketball skills.

The Cabinet Member also announced that there will be a consultation on the possible siting of a meeting shelter at the open space on Grovewood Drive Nrth.

Issue for Decision

To consider the various siting options and representations regarding the provision of a
sports wall and teen shelter at Weavering Heath and determine the way forward. Decision Made

 1. That a sports wall be provided at Weavering Heath at the position shown in
Appendix A of the Report of the Assistant Director of Regulatory and Environmental Services and that the access to the equipment be reviewed to minimise disruption to local residents.

2. That a consultation be undertaken on the possible provision of a teenage shelter on land at Grovewood Drive North as shown in Appendix B of the Report of the Assistant Director of Regulatory and Environmental Services.
Reasons for decision
Weavering Heath is an area of approximately 7 hectares that has been adopted by the council as public open space in relation to the development at Grove Green.
The original intention was that when the open space, formally known as Area 0, was adopted, there would be football pitches provided on the site. However, following
local representations, the Cabinet Member at the time of adoption in 2005 resolved to have passive and informal active recreation on the site with no formal football facilities.
In January 2007, 1400 questionnaires were sent out to residents in the Grove Green area and 252 were completed and returned. In addition, a drop in consultation was held at St John's Primary School.
The results of the consultation are detailed below:

                      
The consultation proposed a sports wall and BMX ramp to be located at the far side of the site down the bank. This was not supported by Kent Police.

 I considered the results of the consultation in June this year and resolved the following:
 (a) That the open space know as Area '0' be named Weavering Heath;
 (b) That the following community facilities be provided on the site:-
          i. Trim Trail path and equipment
         ii. Dog Walking Track
         iii. Educational Picnic Area
         iv. Seating
 (c) That it be recommended to Cabinet that the sum of £23,213, from the balance
 of the funds received from the land encroachment settlement on this site of £40,000, be used towards the provision of the facilities agreed above.
 (d) That further consultation is carried out on the siting of the te~n shelter and the sports wall, and on whether there is a need for a BMX/skate facility.
 (e) That officers consider means by which the sports wall, teen shelter and BMX/skate facilities will be funded if it is agreed, after consultation, that they will be installed.
Since that time, I have met twice with a number of key stakeholder groups, the youth forum, Weavering residents, Boxley Parish Council, local ward members, the local Police Community Support Officer, Borough Council officers and other interested parties. The provision of a BMX ramp has now been rejected and the investigations concentrated on the provision of a sports wall and teenage shelter.

A working group was formed following the first meeting and this group presented their findings to the second meeting on 16 October along with presentations from the youth forum, Weavering Heath Organisation and Cllr Malcolm Greer.

The working group, consisting of Council officers, representatives from Boxley Parish Council, Weavering Heath organisation, (in part) Borough Councillors and St John's Ambulance Grove Green, considered sites in the Grove Green area as well as Weavering Heath at Penhurst Close and Grovewood Drive North. The group also, visited sites in the Borough that already had sports walls and teen shelters.

The group recommended that a sports wall and teen shelter be provided on Weavering Heath.

Cllr Greer recommended that Penhurst Close was the most suitable location.

The Weavering Heath Organisation was not able to attend all the meetings of the working group and opposed any facilities being sited on the Heath and that other sites could provide a suitable location.

The youth forum was not particularly concerned where the equipment was provided as long as it was installed as soon as possible.

Boxley Parish Council were represented in the working group and supported its recommendations.