Petition to Wycombe District Council to provide a true “like for like” facility that enables all existing user groups the ability to continue to participate in their sports.

Handy Cross Sports Centre has been providing the people of High Wycombe and its surrounding towns with a superb leisure centre & public sports facility since it was opened in 1975.

A wide range of sports & pastimes have been provided to local residents via various clubs & user groups that use Handy Cross & its facilities as a base. Many of these user groups, High Wycombe Sub-aqua Club being one of them have been operating from Handy Cross on a weekly basis since the sports centre opened 37 years ago.

Wycombe District Council is now planning to redevelop the Handy Cross site. However the proposed new sports centre will not be a like for like replacement as many of the amenities found in the current Handy Cross Sports Centre will not be provided in the proposed new sports centre. Much of the area now occupied by Handy Cross Sports Centre will be given over to the construction of office complexes, a super market, a hotel, a park & ride & a coach station.

We believe that:

1. Any new sports centre must provide true “like for like” facilities. Wycombe District Council should provide a sport centre that is at least equal to if not better than the present Handy Cross Sports Centre.

2. All existing user groups (inclusive of High Wycombe Sub-Aqua Club) should be enabled by Wycombe District Council to continue to participate in their sports in the “new Handy Cross” through the provision of equipment equal to or better than that currently found in Handy Cross Sports Centre;

3. Provision of a real “like for like” replacement is especially important where any failure to provide, or reduction of facilities could impact on training or safety.