A MEETING to discuss significant investment in Witney’s sports facilities was closed to the public to “manage expectations”.

Witney Town Council commissioned consultants Sports Solutions GB to report on the state of the town’s sports grounds and pitches.

It could lead to thousands of pounds being spent to improve West Witney Sports Ground, The Leys, Burwell Recreation Ground and King George V Memorial Ground.

The draft findings were presented to the leisure and recreation committee on Monday but the meeting was closed to the press and public, just a week after a closed meeting of the finance and general purposes committee.

Town clerk Sharon Groth said the reason was to “manage expectations”, adding that this was “to minimise the chance of miscommunication at an early stage and to avoid speculation until the council has got absolute concrete plans and proposals”.

Opposition Labour councillor Duncan Enright, who was at the meeting, said: “I never think council meetings justify being closed to the press and public, except in extreme circumstances, and I would have preferred the meeting to be held in the open.”

Asked if the meeting was an “extreme circumstance”, he said: “No, but that’s my opinion and others don’t agree with me.”

Mrs Groth said councillors made amendments to the draft report at the meeting and that there would be further consultation with sports grounds users and clubs before a final report is published in September, setting out how much needs to be invested in facilities to “bring them up to scratch”.

The final report could make suggestions including installing new changing rooms or showers, and is likely to include building work, Ms Groth said.

Asked how much it could cost, she added: “We are probably looking at significant investment, because we are talking about buildings and pavilions, as well as drainage of the pitches.”

She refused to comment on whether she thought the pitches were currently up to standard but distanced the report from one commissioned into the state of the Corn Exchange, which resulted in its closure on safety grounds in 2011.

Sports Solutions GB used Sport England guidance to determine the condition of existing facilities.

The report was commissioned after the decision to scrap controversial plans to sell West Witney Sports Ground to developers to fund new facilities on the edge of the town.

Councillor Ben Woodruff, a member of the West Witney Sports Ground working party, said: “It’s exciting for Witney and we look forward to being able to publish the full report when it’s done.”

Last week, councillors called for a valuation of the Langdale Hall, with a view to selling it to help pay for renovation of the Corn Exchange. That discussion, too, was closed to the press and public.

Leisure and recreation committee chairman Chris Woodward and Sports Solution GB did not return our calls yesterday.