ODD DOWN PLAYING FIELDS CONCESSIONARY RATES.

I have a number of concerns about the proposed price increases. First, the scale of the increase is extraordinary. Second, it would fall to Bath parents to foot the bill for keeping their children fit and healthy, whilst the Council fails to consider its own social and welfare obligations to its residents. Third, right-minded readers will see here a company taking advantage of its privileged position to raise prices without due accountability or consideration of the effect on valued customers. Fourth, we've seen the grass pitches deteriorate in the time that the facility has been run by GLL; they were fine under the previous regime with the funds it had available. Fifth, many of us at Bath City Youth have dedicated years of our lives providing sport and recreation for youngsters in Bath - all for no financial reward. We have done this for the children, the parents, and, more broadly for the health and well-being of BANES; it is galling to think that a facility that should be run by the council for its residents is now hiking prices so significantly when our time, given for free, creates the need for the facility in the first place. Without question, the Council needs to reconsider its pricing policy; it needs to understand that there are hundreds of voluntary and charitable organisations, working for the good of BANES, that should have ready access to Odd Down and similar facilities at a reasonable price, whether by concession or otherwise.

Please help us to keep our kids active and healthy.

Grossly unfair.

Price increases will have a immense change on the people who can use the facilities at odd down playing fields

Odd Down is such a great community resource, it seems a shame that many in the community will no longer be able to afford to use it.

Surely sport facilities should be for everyone not just those who can afford it?

Use tax payers money to build the facility and then sell out to private business to profit from it. How depressing!

This seems very short sighted

This is scandalous. The club is fantastically run and brilliant for our children.

Youth football is essential to the long-term growth and stability of football in the UK. This needs to be supported at local government level.

Youth football and sport generally should be inclusive and participation must not be determined by ability to pay. That the excellent facility is costly to run should come as no surprise but models need to be explored that do not disadvantage those who benefit the most.

I use the Astro and I don't want to pay lots more money to use it.

Can we stop using this to slagging off other clubs the issue is the price increase and not who uses the facility. All clubs do wonderful work in Bath and the volunteers that run them are superstars. Every child should be able to use these facilities. Bath is crying out for another one so let's come together and fight the price increase as it will affect all of us.

Fred I will make this clear we are a new team called fc United of bath we have made a huge loss in our 1st season we have used odd down all season .we are one of those clubs to have concession we are a NON PROFIT CLUB. We are not the other bath side that make PROFIT so please don't put us in that category .we have done this to make kids smile and for grassroots we are all volunteers

clubs cant afford the price increases and sport is important as the interest keeps youngesters off the streets

charities rely on reasonable costs to allow them to offer free training to kids. By putting up costs it only ever impacts on the children who may not have the funds available

A massive increase in rates, and favouritism to clubs who make profits over those that are non for profit, seems totally unfair to me. Fred Mawer Bath City FC parent

These costs need to be kept to a min, to allow the boys and girls to play football in a good and safe environment.

This is a community facility and as such costs should not be prohibitive for ANYone. This hike in costs if it goes ahead will result in children and adults being unable to afford to take part in the sporting activities that they are currently to and would be completely out of line with the ethos and reason for having a community facility for ALL. It absolutely must not happen.

Public investment into the development of our children is essential to secure our future and provision of affordable (ideal free) sports facilities is an important part of such investment. Thus, I object to the proposed changes to the Odd Down playing fields in favour of organisations that do not operate on a "not for profit" basis while the children and their parents are asked to pay more.