Given that the number of people who have 'signed' the petition exceeds the local population, I am guessing the the majority who have signed it are not local, but instead are 'sympathy' votes.
The place has been hemorrhaging money for a long time, even back when it was a college. I was amazed when they built the sports centre, but it was something to do with the college becoming a ports college (in the days when the National Lottery Find and the Education Department were throwing money at that sort of thing). It hasn't been open long though.
It was an attempt to keep the college open, but it closed anyway, due to funding cuts. Then came the ansgt from the 'locals' (not really, as the secondary school across the road attracts most of the real local kids). Why on earth the local school did get the facilities I do not know. It was a political thing, to keep the college open.
But, it is a load of tosh to say the locals are going to be deprived of anything. The local secondary school is across the road and has more than adequate out of school hours facilities (pitches, hall, gym etc). There a load of very local alternative gyms with far better facilities. The best being at Stratford-upon-Avon, which has a big pool, an excellent gym, masses of gym space etc. And the council offer a really cheap parking deal for members, and as it is next to the town centre, makes it great for eating out and shopping. Other than the co-op, Henley residents have to drive somewhere to do their shopping anyway.
I don't understand why Wasps don't just get on with it and get the planning application in. The 'locals' will object whatever. There were a load objecting when the sports centre was built.
Hoping for a quick planning decision based on no local opposition is cloud cuckoo land. 'Oh, where will we go?' plead the little boys and girls, 'We will be homeless.' Utter tosh. Of course they will find somewhere else.
As to whether the evil little trolls who support CCFC, and the Observer, have drummed this up, of course they have. Get the planning application in on Election day and bury it under all the other tosh that will be filling column inches then.