Easingwold School Needs a Sports Hall   For possibly the last time in a generation there is the chance of providing a first class sports hall at Easingwold School – incredibly, our local and District Councillors seem determined to ignore this opportunity.   The current gym facilities, which have changed little since the school’s construction in 1954, are a complete disgrace. Within the proposed development of the site on York Road, Redrow Homes are willing to make a community contribution of £1.8m to fully fund the hall at the school and still provide 23 affordable homes (out of a total of 90). By any means this a fair proportion and the proposal meets with Government policies of localism and healthy lives for children. A contribution towards provision of the School Sports Hall forms part of the land allocation policy for the York Road site – this is a policy recently promoted and adopted by Hambleton District Council in their new Local Plan.    Clearly contradicting the overwhelming results of the public consultation on the development, Councillors Geoff Ellis, Shirley Shepherd are in total opposition to this proposal, instead favouring a much higher allocation of affordable homes, possibly in excess of 40%. This would scupper the chance of any meaningful contribution to the sports hall. They have not even requested that the affordable homes would be provided for local people, leaving open the prospect of properties being let to tenants who have no affinity or prior connection to Easingwold.   There is no other way to fund the sports hall, the figures are too large to be met by fundraising and due to the economic climate no funding is available from NYCC.   Your support would help to deliver a much needed sports facility for the pupils at Easingwold School and for the wider community