The world-leading sports facilities at
Bisham Abbey, where more than 30 British Olympic medalists trained
for London 2012 are set to get even better if Sport England’s
improvement plans are approved by local councillors.
These athletes won five gold medals – so if
Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre was a country, it would have
finished 16th in the medal table at London 2012. It is also home to
our men’s and women’s hockey teams as well as being a thriving
community sports centre – with around 180,000 visits to play sport
by local people every year. More than 70% of those who visit Bisham
are community users.
Now Sport England has revealed plans to make
further improvements, bringing the outdated accommodation block
into the 21st century with 50 new high-quality double
rooms and replacing an existing grass pitch with an artificial
grass pitch that will be help meet the growing demand for
year-round sport by the centre’s many users.
Sport England Property Director, Charles
Johnston, said: “These improvements are part of our plans to ensure
Bisham remains at the forefront of sporting excellence for both
grassroots participants and elite athletes. We have consulted
extensively prior to submitting our proposals and I’m delighted to
say that so far we have had around 50 supportive letters from local
people. Bisham is very much part of the community of Marlow, so
having the support of local people is very important to us.”
A planning application submitted by Serco,
which manages Bisham Abbey on behalf of Sport England, also
includes proposals to improve the landscaping and habitat at Bisham
as well as a small increase in parking provision at the site to
improve traffic management, so that users no longer have to park on
grass verges.
Serco was contracted last year for a period of
15 years to run and manage two key National Sports Centres,
including Bisham Abbey, on behalf of Sport England.
Keith Thomas, Director, Leisure, Serco said,
“Bisham Abbey is the home of sports training for Olympic and
Paralympic athletes, professional sportsmen and women and community
users alike. The planned improvements will bring yet another
dimension to the facilities we can provide on behalf of Sport
England cementing Bisham as a key home for sports training and
re-establishing the facility as a ‘World Class’ training
venue.”
The cost of the proposed improvements of
around £6 million would be met through Sport England National
Lottery funding.