FUNDAMENTAL changes are in the pipeline for community sports provision at Tavistock College.

The school feels it is in the best interests of everybody to take over the running of the facility itself from the Tavistock Area Community Recreation Association, but TACRA fears the present input from the community might be lost if it does so.

TACRA chairman David Glover also feared the school would not have access to the kinds of money TACRA has, as a community-orientated charitable organisation.

A statement issued by the college said it was considering concluding its relationship with TACRA and has asked the college governors to give the organisation formal contractual notice to end their agreement, with effect from April 2002.

College principal John Simes said: 'I fully recognise the tremendous effort which has been made in establishing TACRA, but the college now feels it is in the best interest of our staff, students and the community generally to move ahead on a new basis.'

He said there would be no loss to the community, nor to individual members, and he promised to involve all users in the plans to replace TACRA with a 'new college-based, but community-focussed, sporting and leisure organisation'.

Mr Simes said he felt the concept of a free-standing sports organisation within the college was not the best vehicle to provide those facilities.

In its place Mr Simes proposes a 'sports club' with what he described as a very extensive sports programme, and which would 'provide opportunities for the community'.

He said the school was aiming to tap into large sums of money directed at sport by the DfEE recently, and said there was perhaps much more money available to improve the present facilities.

Mark Braithwaite, chairman of governors, said this was an opportunity to move forward: 'It needs a bit of a kick to achieve the aims TACRA was originally set up for. The sports club will offer much the same sort of facilities, but in a different format.'

He said the facilities would be run by the college primarily for the college, but it did intend to maintain and improve the community facilities.

Mr Glover admitted there had been problems between the school and TACRA, but he insisted a way forward could be found.

'They can give us 12 months notice, but as far as I'm aware discussions are still taking place,' he said.

'A lot of people are working extremely hard to retrieve that situation — we are just trying to provide what is needed for the community, but it seems like a fait accompli.

'It's an unfortunate move to make. Any amount of funding won't be available to the college that is available to TACRA. They are choosing to disregard that.

'I fully understand the responsibility of a community college principal should be the students, but we believe the interests of the community can also be met.

'The two should be able to work closely together, but the desire for that to be achieved must be worked at by both parties.'