Government goes back to the drawing board with £3m Oakfield plans

Friday 29 October 2021

The Government has decided to rework its proposals for an upgraded Oakfield Sports Centre after the £3.1m project was rejected by Planning.

It was revealed at Scrutiny this week that the Government would not be appealing the refusal of consent by the Planning Committee but it would be resubmitting plans after making changes to the project’s design, landscaping, colour and materials used.

In refusing the application last week, the committee expressed concerns about parking and design features - with former Planning Minister Deputy Steve Luce blasting the proposed extension as “cheap” and "temporary-looking”, and too big for the site.

The renovation plans include new changing rooms, teaching areas and offices over the existing netball playing courts.

The project – paid for by Fiscal Stimulus funding – is a key tenet in the Government’s plans to move sport out of Fort Regent.

Oakfield is destined to become the Island home of netball, gymnastics and martial arts, with football also being played on a new 3G pitch, which is subject to separate planning application.

This week, the Director-General of Infrastructure, Housing and Environment, Andy Scate, told Scrutiny that his department was “looping back with Planning and our designers to see what the art of the possible is”.

Pictured: The plans was rejected by the Planning Committee last week.

He added: “We are now looking to address some of the concerns that have been raised, whether it be landscaping, design, materials or colour. We are quite hopeful we will get to a solution; this project is not something we want to throw away.” 

He said that Oakfield had been determined as the right site to develop as it was already in sporting use and it was close to several schools and Highlands College. 

The panel also heard that no sport would leave Fort Regent until satisfactory alternatives had been found for all users.

Although martial arts groups had previously been told they were likely to leave the Fort by next April, this has now been put back to at least next October, the hearing was told.