Britannia Reserve Master Plan 01.indd

TOWN OF VINCENTBritannia Reserve Master PlanMessage from the MayorBritannia Reserve is one of our most popular sporting venues. On any given day youcan see people, young and not so young, heading to the grounds and taking part in ateam sport, tossing around a ball, watching the kids play, having a stroll or taking the furrymembers of the family for a walk.Your Town wants to ensure that the reserve continues to be a prime spot for sporting andcommunity activities so we are developing a Master Plan to protect your use and access,and to guide the development and management of Britannia Reserve over the next fiveyears.As the reserve plays an important part in many of your lives, we are asking for your inputinto the Master Plan and seeking your ideas on how we can best utilise the reserve.Mayor Nick CataniaIn this brochure we provide some background information and outline the Vision forBritannia Reserve. We ask that you peruse the information presented (visit the CommunityConsultation page at www.vincent.wa.gov.au for further information) and then complete thesurvey and return it to us (reply paid) by Monday 29 November 2010.I thank you for taking the time to provide us with your input. The results of the survey will help guide us in finalising theMaster Plan and ensuring that Britannia Reserve continues to be a top spot for recreational and sporting activities.

BackgroundThe reserve now known as Britannia Reserve has been used as a sporting venue for over eighty years. Although never officiallynamed such, the area was referred to as Greeny’s Square by the locals who used the reserve in the 1930s as a recreationalspace for sports.Located on the reserve, the Lake Monger Velodrome was originally constructed in 1959 (officially opened on 14 March 1959) asa cycling venue for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (to this day the cycling tunnel remains intact and is afeature of the ground). Floreat Athena Soccer Club joined the soccer league in 1952 and they moved to the Velodrome in 1985.In 1998 Evangelos and Despo Litis donated $150,000 to the club and the stadium was renamed E & D Litis Stadium.Britannia Reserve has continued its sporting history to become a popular venue for participation in a number of organisedsports including cricket, soccer and rugby together with many people using the reserve for more unstructured recreationalpursuits such as walking, exercising and casual ball sports. The children’s playgrounds are filled with activity and with parts ofthe reserve having off-leash status at times many families bring their dogs to Mt Hawthorn for exercise and social outings.The large public open space caters for a diverse range of sporting and recreational activities. Quiet and tranquil, with diverseecology, attractive green trees and vegetation, there is plenty of opportunity for passive recreation.At present the reserve features change-rooms, social rooms, four cricket pitches, four cricket training nets, training lights, goalsfor three soccer pitches, nine senior and six junior rugby union pitches, public toilets, two playgrounds, on and off-leash dogexercise areas and outdoor exercise equipment.However, to ensure that the reserve continues to meet the needs and expectations of users there are a number of matterswhich need to be addressed including:• effective traffic management• improved car parking on weekends• improved pedestrian walkways and lighting• upgrade ageing stadium/clubroom facilities• co-ordination of sporting activities (4,000-5,000 patrons on Saturdays)• community amenities (e.g. toilets, BBQs, exercise equipment)• improved landscaping• sustainability considerations (e.g. water use, power use).The VisionTo provide a safe and sustainable facility which maximises structured and non-structuredrecreation and sporting requirements of all users and stakeholders:• to maximise the functionality of the reserve in terms of structured and nonstructuredrecreation requirements of the users• needs to be considered with the future use and plans for the adjoining E & DLitis Stadium and Leederville Tennis Club as well as take into considerationadjacent residential developments and other facilities• increased and optimum accommodation of sporting and community use of thefacilities at the reserve, providing for best practice physical activity strategiesfor the area.There are a number of opportunities that could be considered including:• development of a good Sports and Recreation Precinct that complementsexisting facilities• better use of the area and its facilities• updating and modernising facilities within the Precinct• improved car park facilities and vehicle access to the Precinct• provide café and retail outlets (e.g. drinks, ice creams, sporting goods etc)• promoting sustainability issues (e.g. water conservation, solar poweredlights)• ensure that facilities are utilised throughout the year and not just duringpeak sporting seasons (e.g. rugby, soccer, cricket)• ensure all stakeholders contribute funding towards the development andmaintenance of these facilities, not just Vincent residents/ratepayers• convenient location for grouped sports• consider the needs of residents/ratepayers alongside the needs of thesporting clubs• listen to those for whom any changes will have the greatest long-term impact(i.e. local residents/ratepayers).Master PlanYour Town is preparing the Britannia Reserve Master Plan to guide the development of new facilities and assess redevelopmentoptions for the existing facilities at the reserve. Serving as a guide for the long-term planning and development of sportinginfrastructure at the reserve, the Master Plan will reinforce the reserve’s role as a sporting precinct within Vincent.The vision for the site is the redevelopment of Britannia Reserve to maximise its functionality in terms of the structured andnon-structured recreation requirements of the users. The proposed plans will involve increased and optimum accommodation ofsporting and community use of the facilities at the reserve.One of the key issues to be addressed in the Master Plan is the provision of playing and off-field facilities for the various sportingclubs who use the reserve. In addition, a number of shared-use facilities are proposed to avoid the duplication of infrastructure.The Master Plan will also address integration of the site with the surrounding areas, including the E & D Litis Stadium, LeedervilleTennis Club and residential developments in the immediate vicinity.The Master Plan will address the principles of:• Access and Participation• Sustainability• Multi-Purpose and Shared-Use• Community Engagement and• Quality Facility Provision.It is expected that the final Master Plan will incorporate a number of requirements:• contemporary, innovative and high quality design to suit the targeted demographic• ensure that proposed development responds sensitively to its site and setting, and contributes to a place that is valuedand visually attractive• ensure that buildings and spaces are designed to be universally accessible• ensure that building design contributes to a comfortable pedestrian environment, providing opportunities for weatherprotection and minimising strong wind conditions in the laneways and resident spaces• ensure new development minimises any detrimental impacts on neighbouring properties• ensure that any proposed development has sufficient car parking• ensure that any proposed development incorporates energy efficient design principles for sustainable development• ensure that landscaping concepts contribute to and complement the built form.Ultimately the Master Planshould deliver a facility that:• is high quality, valued,visually attractive and meetsthe needs of all users/stakeholders• is universally accessible• features a comfortablepedestrian environment• has minimal detrimentalimpact on neighbouringproperties• has sufficient car parking• adheres to energy efficientdesign principles forsustainable development• boasts landscaping that issustainable and contributesto and complements the builtform.

Litis StadiumTOWN OF VINCENTBritannia Reserve Master PlanLitis Stadium is the home of Floreat Athena Football Club and is recognised as one of the best soccer venues in the State.In late 2008 Football West (the peak governing body for football in WA) approached a number of local governments to explorepotential sites to establish their headquarters. Litis Stadium was identified as a potential site to become the 'Home of Football'.Football (soccer) is played internationally and is enjoying rising numbers of players and fans in WA. Currently there are 33,000participants, 130 registered clubs, 1,500 registered teams, 25,000 participants in Football West programmes, 8,000 players innon-affiliated competitions and 2,000 registered coaches and officials – and with the popularity of the code continually increasingit is anticipated that participant numbers willcontinue to grow (especially with the potentialAustralian bid to host the 2022 World Cup – theTown has signed a Preliminary Agreement withFIFA for Litis Stadium to be used as a trainingvenue if Australia is successful in hosting aWorld Cup).Football West is looking for a location for theirheadquarters which will establish a strong identityfor the sport and the footballing community,create a ‘Home of Football’ in Western Australiathat encompasses a centre of excellence(including new offices), provide quality playingfacilities with 12-months a year access that is notreliant on climate, provide an opportunity for thecontrolling body to co-ordinate, host and deliverquality community events, and provide qualitymeeting and training facilities.To this end, the Town has looked at a MasterPlan for Litis Stadium which envisages a stagedproject on the northern part of the existing site. Stage 1 will necessitate removal of the existing gatehouse in the north-easterncorner and extensive earthworks to level the site to the same elevation as the adjoining Britannia Road. A new headquarterswill be constructed comprising basement level (change-rooms, showers, toilets and storerooms), ground floor with toilets andtenancies for sports organisations and a first floor for Football West’s administration.Stage 2 works will involve seating platts around the pitch, new artificial playing pitch, lighting upgrade and public address CCTVinstallation. Ground capacity will remain unchanged at a maximum of 3,000-4,000 spectators.It should be noted that Football West will be responsible for the funding of their facilities which, as stated above, are foradministrative purposes and will have a limited impact on traffic and no impact on residential amenity.Public MeetingsThe Town is hosting two community information sessionsand we invite those interested in the Master Plans to comealong to the Britannia Reserve Clubrooms to learn more:Monday 1 November 2010 at 6.00pm &Saturday 6 November 2010 at 10.00amFurther InformationAdditional information is available on the CommunityConsultation page at www.vincent.wa.gov.au.If you require further information, please contact theManager of Community Development on 9273 6532 orcommunity.enquiry@vincent.wa.gov.au.People with specific requirements can ask to have this brochure provided in alternative formats.Town of Vincent 244 Vincent Street, Leederville, Western Australia, 6007 PO Box 82, Leederville 6902 Telephone: (08) 9273 6000TTY: (08) 9273 6078 Facsimile: (08) 9273 6099 Email: mail@vincent.wa.gov.au Website: www.vincent.wa.gov.au