A FURIOUS Trowbridge man is to call a meeting to demand a parish poll on plans for a new £2.2 million 3G artificial turf sports pitch on land next to Doric Park in Hilperton.

Paul Jubbie warned he will demand a parish poll which could cost Trowbridge Town Council up to £56,000 to ask residents to decide a simple yes/no vote on whether they want the scheme to go ahead.

The poll - which may not take place until May - could potentially delay or halt the scheme until further consultations are held.

In another twist, it was disclosed this week that a mystery resident made a complaint last November about the lack of proper consultation immediately following a council precept survey on loan options to help pay for the proposed new facility.

Mr Jubbie warned a policy and resources committee meeting on Tuesday he intends to call a parish meeting to demand a parish poll, which he claims could cost between £5,000 and £8,000 based on the results of a 2015 government survey with input from 150 parishes, with the town council footing the bill.

Trowbridge town clerk Lance Allan says the cost could potentially rise to £56,000 if all seven wards in Trowbridge are polled. Because of the Covid pandemic restrictions the poll may have to take place on May 6, the same day as the local elections.

Mr Jubbie, 44, of Cavell Court, Trowbridge, said: “Bearing in mind the decision that has been made tonight about Doric Park, I intend to organise a parish meeting.

“At that parish meeting I am going to demand a poll to ask the yes/no question, do voters in Trowbridge want Doric Park to be built in Hilperton or not.

“Unfortunately, the town council will have to foot the bill for that as you are not willing to budge on that whatsoever.

“We will go direct to democracy and see what the voters want to happen. I don’t feel that you are listening to me and others so direct democracy will have to take over now.”

Trowbridge Town Council leader and P&R committee chairman Stewart Palmen said later: "We will not be making the final decision on the Doric Park project during our final full council meeting in March.

"We are only agreeing under certain circumstances that the loan can be applied for. There will be another vote on this once the application is approved."

"As I understand it any poll will not delay anything. These are advisory polls and do not have to be acted on. It is not on the critical path for the project but is a complete waste of time and money."

Meanwhile, councillors voted to allow the mystery resident, who has not been named, to appeal at a full council meeting against the council’s refusal to hold further consultation on its plans.

The survey last October did not include an option for residents to say whether they wanted the scheme to go ahead as is required by official government borrowing rules.

Critics among the council’s Tory opposition group say the scheme would add to the council’s debt burden, would be built on land outside the parish of Trowbridge, and claim there is no proper business plan and no evidence of potential usage.

Mr Jubbie added: “There has been lots of claims bandying around that there has been this consultation and that consultation. I made a FOI request to the town council, give me the evidence that you have done surveys or consultation since 2007 when this first began to be discussed.

“The reply came back there is no evidence of any survey, any consultations being undertaken by Trowbridge Town Council since 2007.”

Mr Jubbie also said that as local election purdah begins on March 11, the council should not be voting on any controversial decisions after that date. The council is due to make a final decision on the loan application at its next full council meeting on Tuesday, March 16.

He added: “If you do vote this through on March 16 you will potentially be breaking pre-election purdah rules. I would urge you to put this back until after the elections.”

But the committee voted to recommend that full council should go ahead with the loan application, saying that consultation has been completed and that Trowbridge Rugby Club has agreed to provide access to the pitches through its entrance off the A361 Devizes Road.

Subject to planning permission being granted by Wiltshire Council and contract tenders being received before May 6, the council intends to go ahead and submit a borrowing approval application for the £2.2m loan facility.

Mr Allan stressed: “This is not the final decision. The final decision on progressing the project would be subject to the decision of full council.

“The borrowing application, if approved, would not be taken until the financial situation of the town council resulting from the impact of the pandemic and the future financial security of the council is understood.”

However, the full council decision could be influenced by the results of the parish poll, if it goes ahead, and the appeal on the complaint over the lack of proper consultation.

Although a parish poll would be non-binding, the council may have to take account of residents’ views and arrange further consultation before making a final decision.

The new all-weather facility would be located next to Trowbridge Rugby Club on the A361 and it is claimed it would be used by both local football and rugby club players, as well as other sports such as hockey.

It would provide an all-year-round training location and will also be available for the public to hire. The development would also provide changing facilities and a gym, and the rugby club would also benefit from additional car parking.

The town council is holding talks with Wiltshire College & University Centre about providing courses at the facility if and when it is built.

Work is likely to start once planning permission has been granted and a final decision has been made. It is hoped to complete the new facility in time for the start of the 2021/22 football season in the autumn.

The council has already received Section 106 planning contributions of £555,000 and a £450,000 grant from the Football Foundation to help finance the project. It says the £2.2 million loan will be fully funded from the income generated by the fees charged to users.

The loan is likely to cost £104,398 a year in interest at an annual rate of 2.48 per cent over a 30-year period, meaning the project could cost a total of £3,131,962 in interest and loan repayments.

Tenders have been invited from prospective contractors to provide the new artificial pitch, which would be constructed to national standards.