Town councillors has for the second time, backed big plans for Newtown Sports Club.

Newtown Sports Club, which provides sporting facilities covering rugby, cricket and tennis for all ages is planning for a modern fit for purpose changing room facilities. The club is wanting to build new changing room facilities to serve the sports provided as the existing changing rooms are not fit for purpose as requirements in relation to Health and Safety, child protection, female and disabled participation have increased. The club can serve 18,000 visitors a year of which 14,000 a participate in one or other of the sports wide range of sports.

Cllr Pete Lewington first raised the topic with a motion to full council in September 2021 where Councillors resolved to request that the Town Clerk to write to the Sports Development team at Powys County Council who had been supporting the club with their funding applications, confirming the Town Councils support of the clubs intentions to upgrade the changing room facilities to enable the club to continue to make its massive contribution to the health and wellbeing in Newtown and the surrounding areas.

This followed with a second motion in February 2022, where the Council unanimously supported the Town Council to agree to the use of Council resources to help the sports club to publicise their Community survey as they seek to engage with the residents of Newtown and the surrounding areas.

The Club remain committed to their mission to make the facilities more fit for purpose, even with an unsuccessful grant application to Powys County Council. A new working group is now taking the project forward to revise the plans and to consider a rebuild of the facilities. The revised plan includes a gym area and an upper floor that would provide an indoor sports facility which would increase the potential opportunities the club could offer.

As part of the development of the business case for the project, surveys will be carried out to gauge interest in the community, groups, clubs and organisations that would might be interested in using this new developed space.

Cllr Pete Lewington’s most recent motion to full council in January requested that the Town Council writes again to the secretary of the Newtown Sports Club confirming the Town Council’s further support of the club’s renewed intentions and its revised plans to upgrade the facilities. The Council resolved to support this motion.