We’re conscious that some time has passed since our last communication on the development of the new Sports and Social Club for High Royds and have waited for more useful updates from Avant to inform you of plans to finally progress. Unfortunately, despite continued efforts to engage positively with Avant (and continued support from our local Councillors Paul Alderson, Eleanor Thomson and Oliver Edwards), it’s fair to say that progress is extremely slow at this stage to deliver upon the mandate given to us by HRRA – and as of now we have no firm plans for the development of the Sports and Social Club.
Meetings
We had a meeting with Mark Lyon from Avant on the 30th May this year, where Mark was able to update us. The main points regarding the Sports and Social Club are as follows:
• “Due to cost estimates that we (Avant) have received for a full supply package for the club house, we are now investigating the possibility of completing the works with an in-house team. We have met with a timber frame provider and we are now working on producing a set of drawings to progress this approach further. Layouts for heating, lighting etc will then also need to be completed.
• We have had contact with the utility provider asking for confirmation of network loading availability for both electricity & water – confirmation of this is awaited
• We are to make contact with the water authority to confirm if positive drainage connections are available for both the surface and foul water drainage
• Based on all of the above, we discussed that a very best-case scenario would be a start on the works in September with a build period of approx nine months (this programme can be firmed up as more details are confirmed)
• We agreed that we would meet again in six weeks’ time to review progress”
Lack of progress
Whilst Avant maintain that they will comply with their obligation to provide a Sports and Social Club we are extremely frustrated at the progress as we are sure are High Royds residents.
As you’re aware, all HRRA’s activities (and those of the Sports and Social Club team) are underpinned by time given by volunteers to progress these. We’d like to underline the efforts made by numerous individuals over the past 3-plus years to reassure residents that we have made every effort to provide everything that has been requested by Avant – we did not want a lack of organisation on our part to be cited as a reason for not progressing this, nor has that ever been the case. To that end we have provided a timeline of key activities to demonstrate these.
Timeline:
The High Royds Sports and Social Club pre-dates any of the new homes, back to when it was an operational hospital, in its own building, which was subsequently demolished – a well-known and thriving social club for the community. This continued throughout all of the housing developments despite being moved to allow development to continue, and the intent to create a similar community hub has underpinned all efforts since that time. This is the reason that obligations to build a new Sports and Social Club were included in Leeds City Council’s Section 106 planning permission.
23/9/21 – HRRA Residents Meeting where the outstanding matter of the intents for the High Royds Sports and Social Club was discussed and voted upon – with support to progress a new build agreed. To that end a new HRSASC group was established by volunteer residents of HR intending to progress this on behalf of HRRA.
17/11/21 – Meeting held with volunteer group to discuss way forward, list of basic requirements determined after discussions with local sports clubs and HRRA.
9/12/21 – HRSASC (in association with HRRA) circulate a FAQs and mission statement to HRRA social media groups to outline contributors, intents and scope of the SASC project.
10/12/21 – Meeting with Dean Cutts (Avant’s Technical Director) to provide basic requirements for building.
21/4/22 – HRRA / HR SASC received elevations, ground floor plan and location plan from Avant.
10/5/22 – HRRA / HR SASC Team Meeting to finalise any amendments to the plans.
11/5/22 – HRSASC team communicate proposed amendments to Avant.
23/6/22 – HRSASC team circulate a survey to members of HRRA, residents and wider community via social media groups, with an intent to further underline residents’ commitment to the project. Positive feedback is garnered and shared with HRRA and residents in July 2022 and passed on to Avant.
12/9/22 – Avant confirm replacement of their project lead, Dean Cutts, with Jon Birkin.
24/1/23 – Full planning permission granted for the proposed SASC building.
8/2/23 – First face to face meeting in Thorp Arch between Avant and HRSASC group. Avant ask HRSASC to provide a revised ‘red line’ plan to progress for planning permission, and confirmation that HRSASC will accept freehold ownership of the new building. Both are provided by HRSASC on 23/2/23.
16/2/23 – HRSASC CIC (Community Interest Company) formally registered and established, with a business plan to underpin the business operations commenced.
23/3/23 – Plans for the SASC building presented to HR residents at HRRA AGM.
28/3/23 – After initial progress is made Avant’s Jon Birkin, who was leading on the project, was no longer responsive. We do not receive any further communication until Avant appoint John Kirkham as Special Projects Manager on 7/6/23.
7/4/23 – Old cricket pavilion demolished by Avant.
14/6/23 – Deed of Variation drafted by HRSASC CIC to underline intention for the group / HRRA to sign off S106 obligations upon completion of building by Avant.
4/9/23 – Avant in discussions with Leeds City Council to progress planning application and building work. Avant advise that positive conversations have progressed internally re: budget to deliver the building as planned. However, Avant also advise that Walker Buildings are no longer involved so needs to progress to tender.
1/11/23 – Avant requests sign off of CIC business plan. This was subsequently accepted and removed as impediment to progress on 14/11/23.
14/11/23 – Avant ask for mandate from HRRA and councillors – subsequently provided and accepted, removed as impediment to progress in meeting with Avant on 19/12/23.
15/4/24 – Avant advise in note from Mark Lyon to HRRA that they have a constrained budget:
“We have a substantial gap between what remains left available in our budget against the quotations that we have received. We are now in the process of investigating a number of different options to enable construction of the pavilion that complies with our planning obligation but is in line with our available budget and will look to progress this as soon as possible.”
Disappointment
I am sure you share our disappointment in the lack of progress. We’d love to be in a position to share a more positive update, as a significant amount of effort has gone into providing a foundation on which to progress this project – ultimately, though, we are not in charge of it, and are reliant on Avant to deliver upon the obligations they were committed to delivering many years ago.
As stated in the timeline, historically a Sports and Social Club pre-dates any of the new homes, back to when it was an operational hospital. It existed in its own building – which was subsequently demolished – but provided a well-known and thriving social club for the community. This continued throughout all of the housing developments despite being moved to allow development to continue, and the intent to create a similar community hub has underpinned all efforts since that time. This is the reason that obligations to build a new Sports and Social Club were included in Leeds City Council’s Section 106 planning permission.
We would urge all of those who continue to support the intent to have the Sports and Social Club to attend HRRA meetings to underline their continued support of the project, and we’ll continue to do our best to remove any impediments to progress, which is all we really have within our gift at this stage.
Thanks,
HRRA SASC CIC.
High Royds Residents' Association 