St Bartholomew’s School in Newbury could soon host competitive fixtures if plans are given the green light
ETON Fives fixtures could soon be played at St Bartholomew’s School in Newbury, if planning permission is granted for three courts. The secondary school currently has two courts, but former headteacher Stuart Robinson told Newbury town councillors on Monday (October 17) that a third court would enable the hand-ball game, which originated at Eton College and is played as doubles in a three-sided court, to be played on a competitive basis. He said: “The game is on the up and up and courts have been built at mainstream schools in London. “We would hope to have more fixtures and community use in the future.” Planning permission was granted for the replacement of the two existing Eton Fives courts as part of the school redevelopment, which was approved in February 2008, but the latest application is to construct an additional court to the south west of the two permitted courts. Mr Robinson added that the three courts would also be constructed with a roof to minimise noise disruption. Kuldip Singh Kang (Con, Falkland) said he was in favour of facilities for school sports and the application received no objections from town councillors. A decision will be made on the application by West Berkshire Council next month.
