A CONSULTATION into how two sports facilities should be managed has launched ahead of the planned daytime closure of Edgbarrow Sports Centre to the public this autumn.

Centre users and residents will be asked how they think access to Edgbarrow and Sandhurst Sports Centres should be managed now that both will only be open to the community after 5.30pm.

All daytime, term time access for leisure at Edgbarrow Sports Centre will stop on Monday, September 5 this year due to the growing number of pupils and pressure on teaching space at Edgbarrow Secondary School.

This means community access will no longer be possible before 5.30pm on term time weekdays bringing Edgbarrow Sports Centre in line with the established arrangements at Sandhurst Sports Centre.

Cllr Iain McCracken, executive member for culture, corporate services and public protection, said: “The changes to community access in recent years has meant the current management approach is becoming increasingly unwieldy compared to the provision on offer so the time is right to re-assess and this consultation is a key part of that.

“This questionnaire will help us understand how each option would be viewed by the community and centre users and how it would impact on users and sports organisations and your participation by completing the questionnaire would be greatly appreciated.”

The current arrangement for community access at both centres will remain in place until at least Friday, March 31, 2017 after which two options have been put out for consultation.

The first option would see the council’s leisure services department continue to deliver out-of-school-hours community access at both centres.

The second option would be the schools themselves manage community access to the facilities via block-booking, ending users' opportunity to turn up on the day and pay for single activities at a time.

Bracknell Forest Council's executive approved the consultation on Monday, July 18 which launched this Monday, August 1.

It will be available until Friday, September 30 online at http://consult.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/public/leisure/essc A decision is currently scheduled to be made in November.