A DEVIZES sports club is pleading with Wiltshire Council to return its hockey pitch to a playable state as lockdown restrictions on sport start to ease next week.
Following Government announcements that team sport training can continue after Monday many players young and old were excited at the prospect of returning to hockey.
But since the start of the season the pitch at Devizes Leisure Centre has been deemed unsafe and currently cannot be used.
Despite the best efforts of hockey club members and frequent messages to Wiltshire Council, they fear nothing has been done to find the cash to fix the Astroturf.
The committee has described the situation as very disappointing and plan to lobby MP Danny Kruger, in the hopes he can step in and persuade the council to make changes.
Wiltshire Council currently say they are looking to find capital funding needed to repair the pitch.”
In a statement released this week, the committee said it was desperate to get everyone back on the pitch but that progress with the council had been slow.
It stressed it was not giving up without a fight and is exploring the idea of taking on the mammoth task of raising cash for a new pitch if the authority does not fix the pitch.
Club chairman Lorna Freemantle, told the Gazette: “We want the council to give us any sort of commitment if they will do something. We can put in some strong bids for funding, we just need more than the nothing we have now.
“We don’t want to lose our community team because of the facilities. We’ve looked at other sites before, but there’s a huge amount of work and funding involved to build a pitch from scratch.
“It seems silly and would be a huge waste when there is the pitch here that could be worked on.
“To do that, it would cost less to refurbish that rather than build a new one. But that’s the ultimatum it feels like we have.”
The hockey club pays £20,000 a year to use the pitch at Devizes Leisure Centre, which is run by Wiltshire Council.
Currently, the pitch has a smattering of large holes where the astroturf has split, and is generally in poor condition.
The damage on the pitch makes it far too dangerous to play on, but also due to the fact it floods often and is like “playing on old carpet” when wet.
The hockey club pays £20,000 a year to use the facility and wants certainty from the council so members know how to protect its future.
In the past it has made use of facilities at Melksham Oak and at Dauntsey’s School, but having temporary facilities outside the town centre limits the numbers of new members and adds more challenges.
Lorna added: “We’re a community club and we need to be in the town centre to ensure access for everyone.
“If we’re not in Devizes then activities like our Back to Hockey group and Walking Hockey activities will suffer. It’s the worst possible time for this to happen, when everyone is so eager to get back to sport and when we want people to be able to get out and be active.”
Members and people in the town have been encouraged to write to the council or the MP.
Jessica Gibbons, Wiltshire Council director for communities and neighbourhood services, said: “It’s really unfortunate that the astro pitch at Devizes Leisure Centre will be unable to open on 29 March, when the Government allows the use of outdoor sports venues and facilities.
“We are keen to work with relevant partners to determine a resolution and work together to secure the capital funding needed to repair the pitch.”
To find out more about the Devizes Hockey Club or to get involved in their virtual activities, go to https://www.devizeshockey.co.uk/
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