A PROPOSED new hockey facility in Worcester has sparked lively debate since a loan to fund it was given the green light by city councillors last week.

Worcester Hockey Club (WHC) and Royal Grammar School Worcester will form a joint venture to build two international-standard hockey pitches on the site of the Old Porcelain Ground on Droitwich Road.

Worcester City Council plan to facilitate a loan of £2.1million from the government’s Public Works Loan Board which will see the joint venture, set to be granted a 30-year lease on the site for a peppercorn rent, own and manage the facility with an option to buy the land.

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The move has proved controversial with WHC vice-chairman Andy Waters, one of the prominent figures in the plans, addressing some of the issues raised by Worcester News readers ahead of the club’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to discuss and approve the matter tonight (7.30).

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HOW DOES WHC RUN?

“It is the same as many sports clubs around the country. People who want to play can join, it is open to anyone and we have free periods where people can come along and try hockey.

“We have a management committee which is appointed by the members and takes care of the day-to-day running of the club.”

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW ENTITY?

“That has not been set up yet. That is the next stage now we have approval from the council.

“The agreement with RGS is in place but the entity description is not yet because that would have been determined by whether we got the green light.

“It is still open to discussion and fluid.”

WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL RISK TO THE HOCKEY CLUB?

“From the way the joint venture is set up, it will be a separate entity from Worcester Hockey Club so no individual liability exists.”

HOW WILL THE CLUB CONTRIBUTE TO THE FACILITY?

“It will be funded by the various pitch hires that currently go in different directions, they would go to the joint venture which will fund our share.”

WILL COSTS FOR MEMBERS CHANGE?

(£124 per year for adult membership, £72 for juniors in 2018-19. Match fees £8 for adults, £5 for juniors)

“The way the business plan has been put together is robust and has been tested by many different financial institutions.

“Everything for the maintenance and running of the facility over the next 30 years has been costed into the business plan and we don’t foresee any sharp increases for hockey members at all.

“With the world of business how it is, who knows? But at the moment they are all costed in.

“We are a very well-ran club and financially viable. We have been going for 130 years and would not have got to this stage or been considered for any loans without being financially sound.

“By far the biggest cost for us is pitch hire. Years ago the sport was played on grass which was self-sustainable but the move was made to artificial surfaces which changed the whole complexion.

“It is all played on astro now and that costs.”

HOW INVOLVED HAVE THE MEMBERS BEEN?

“Members knew of our dreams and aspirations because they have been there for many years.

“They were kept in the loop in terms of the fact we were trying to put together a plan but the actual detail had to be kept secret. With the number of members we have we could not afford for anything to get out into the public domain in the wrong manner.

“We have been accused of secrecy over the past number of months and years but if you are in business, whether you are buying a house, a car or some land, you are not going to talk to the other parties until you know what you are doing.

“As soon as it could go public it went to the Policy and Resources Committee and the papers were out there. Everyone can see them and there is no secrecy.”

WHAT ELSE WILL BE THERE APART FROM THE PITCHES?

“There will be changing rooms, a meet-and-greet style clubhouse and car parking but it won’t be a stadium where you have hundreds of people turning up to watch the sport.

“We plan to have facilities for a number of people to watch but not like a stadium.”

WHAT WILL THE CAPACITY BE?

“That has not been determined in terms of numbers but it is not in the thousands, let’s put it that way. It is not that sort of sport.”

THE COUNCIL REPORT REFERS TO THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY USE. HOW WILL THAT WORK?

“It will be open to the public to book the pitch.

“There will be an amount of hours that the hockey club is committed to using which will be very similar to the amount we use astro pitches now.

“RGS will be committing to a number of hours too but that will leave quite an availability for local schools to get involved in booking the facility.

“Hopefully the hockey club will be able to provide coaching for schools and anyone who wants to play at a higher level.

“Through the summer months there will be the potential for camps and tournaments. There is a lot of community access potential.

“It will be in a similar way to Freedom Leisure running Nunnery Wood, bookings will be taken into available slots.

“Every day there will be availability for community use.”

HAS ANYONE FROM THE CLUB BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE TWO JUNIOR FOOTBALL TEAMS CURRENTLY USING THE SITE?

“It would not be for us to have that discussion as the joint venture is not yet in place.

“The leasing arrangement is with the city council. How they handle their tenants is their business.

“We could not have that conversation until the decision was made on Tuesday. We couldn’t base it on what might happen as was the case then.”

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS?

“It is a very good venture for the hockey club and sport in general.

“Hockey is the third-most played sport in the world so why wouldn’t we want to provide this facility provided everything is done in the right manner?

“There have been comments from both sides but the underlying reaction is one of support rather than digging into details.

“I thought it was really positive when Steve Goode (chairman, Worcester City FC) came out from the football side to say they would be supporting it as well.

“I think it backs up the case that if the hockey venture goes ahead then with good fortune the football club can get their dreams fulfilled as well, where that happens we don’t know but hopefully in the city of Worcester.

“The public perception of hockey is that it is an elitist sport, which it is not.

“We get a lot of boys and girls come through from public schools – Nunnery Wood for example – but hockey gets put in a category.

“A lot gets bandied around about us being a private members’ club. It is not private, anyone can join and we welcome that.

“We allow for free games until people decide whether they want to join. We are the same as any other sports club in that we fund ourselves through membership and match fees.

“We field seven men’s, four women’s and two or three juniors every Saturday from September to March.

“We are not the biggest in the Midlands but we are one of the biggest.

“The junior section turns out on a Sunday and is coached and trained. Within that we run teams from under-8s, going into county competitions in the hope of going through to national rounds.”