#Local Government
Target:
Burbage Parish Council
Region:
United Kingdom

• A Burbage Parish Council survey consulted just 113 users and “stakeholders” of the Millennium Hall of which only 20% wanted a second hall to be added
• Yet Burbage Parish Council believes it is justified in proceeding with raising and spending over £500,000 on such a project
• Surely Burbage Parish Council should focus on providing facilities that are wanted by the population of Burbage?

In detail:
Many may be surprised to learn Burbage Parish Council (BPC) is currently engaged in a project to redevelop the Millennium Hall. This project will involve raising and spending over £500,000 to create a second hall and other accommodation including a café; and it will see the current sports changing facilities relocated to within containers near the play area.

A “consultation” in the form of a survey was carried out in 2014 by an independent group on behalf of BPC. Only 113 “hall users and stakeholders” responded - from a population of 15000. (I presume that the wider population is just expected to allow their taxes to be spent freely by a small group!) This sample included only SEVEN respondents who used the changing facilities. The survey was misleading because “improvement options” were put to those surveyed without any costs or “consequence information” – so they were free to say yes to items without any downside (e.g. it should have asked: would you like a new hall if it means the changing areas will be shut?).

As such those surveyed did not represent the stakeholders of the Millennium Hall; they certainly did not represent the wider community, and, the survey was flawed because respondents were unware of the consequence of their preferences. In fact only 20% of those surveyed expressed a desire for a further hall – so presumably 80% were not keen on such a development (…as there was no downside presented to them).

However, for some reason BPC decided that this survey indicated an unquestionable demand for a further hall.

One of the issues this raises is what the priorities of BPC should be? – e.g. BPC could work to raise grant money for an all-weather surface for hockey, soccer and rugby training; BPC could create tennis courts; or build a cinder running track… a basketball court or a netball court etc. Wouldn't it be great if BPC could articulate such an ambition?

The government sees sport as important way of combating age-related illness – yet the need for sporting facilities merited just in one sub part of a question in BPC’s recent neighbourhood plan consultation (- drawn up by an undemocratic co-opted group and paid for by BPC).

If nothing is done, then BPC will expend considerable time and effort on pushing ahead with this “white elephant project” – maybe they should be putting such effort in to creating facilities that Burbage residents actually want.

If you sign this petition then please include your post code.

We the undersigned believe that the Millennium Hall consultation was flawed and unrepresentative and did not mandate the council to embark on the proposed development project.

We call on Burbage Parish Council: (a) to cease work on the planned Millennium Hall redevelopment project; (b) to consult widely on what its development priorities should be; and (c) to prioritise the creation of sports and leisure facilities for the population of Burbage.

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The Halt the unnecessary redevelopment of Burbage Millennium Hall petition to Burbage Parish Council was written by simon grindrod and is in the category Local Government at GoPetition.

Petition Tags

Burbage Millenium Hall