Faraday Road Community Forum

Residents gathered to engage in a positive discussion about the proposed sports provision at Faraday Road. The event served as a platform for all voices and opinions to be heard, shedding light on the aspirations of the community for the future use of the Faraday Road facility.

The forum was Chaired by Cllr Janine Lewis, portfolio holder for Public Health, Culture, Leisure, Sport & Countryside, with Cllr Tony Vickers, portfolio holder for Planning & Community Engagement, Cllr Martin Colston, portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Growth & Strategy Development, Clare Lawrence, Executive Director Place and Jon Winstanley, Service Director Environment joining her on the panel. Councillors from all parties attended the forum and allowed for participation and discussion from those across the Council as well as residents.

The event turned out to be a remarkable showcase of the residents' collective passion for sports and the desire to create a space that caters to various interests and activities within the wider community. The dialogue was rich with personal stories and anecdotes, each painting a vivid picture of how the site can be developed to positively impact the lives of residents.

While the overwhelming consensus was in favour of establishing a sports and community facility, concerns were also raised about the ecological factor given that the facilities lie close to the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal.

With the community's voices heard loud and clear, the focus now shifts to further planning, community involvement and collaboration to make the sports and community facility a reality. As the forum came to a close, there was a palpable sense of unity and optimism among residents, as they eagerly await the next steps in this exciting journey to enhance the sporting and community facilities.

Janine Lewis said, "the forum was a wonderful opportunity to listen to the residents and understand their needs. It was a relaxed affair where we could listen to what the community would like at Faraday Road. It was a huge success with great energy and engagement, and we will be taking everything voiced into account when planning the facilities. Thank you to everyone who attended!"

You can watch the forum back here

Questions from the forum:

Will there be lines be for 7 and 9 aside football on the grass pitch?

• Yes will be line the pitch for 7 and 9 aside games using blue and red lining

Will the Council look at upgrading the facilities at Trinity School?

• The Council will support the continued use and enhancement of facilities at schools to be used for community sports. Any plans for Trinity School will be considered as part of the updated Playing Pitch Strategy Action Plan

What will be hours of use and maximum usage of the facility initially?

• This would be in the region of 6 hours in total. Generally it is expected that 2 x 90 min matches could be accommodated and 3 hrs of training. However, youth games are less intensive so the maximum use could be increased if the pitch is used for youth games

Who will manage the upgraded facility in the longer term?

• This will be considered as part of plans for the next stage of facility development