Pages Field to be developed?

Certain members of the Town Council have discretely applied for planning permission to build on Pages Field. They have though since issued a press release with more spin than a frisbee! However a lot of the discussion and decisions to do this were purposely kept out of the public view for fear of reprisal.

I promised to fight the sale and development of this land and I am sticking to this and all promises made. I have been meeting with local resident groups recently and I would like to invite you ALL to the District Council Offices where the planning application will be discussed and I will let you know the date as soon as it is announced.

Hopefully it will be denied permission but that does not stop the Council selling it.

Cllr Steve Owen wants to use the money to build a 120 acre site elsewhere in the town which I believe to be at the far end of Stanbridge Road, barely even in the town. This would mean that people would invariably need to drive to the site creating more congestion.

I do not believe the town needs or wants one or two big sites but small patches in the heart of the community where it becomes a personal and neighbourly space for sports and recreation. A kick about near home is the only practical option for our residents wanting to enjoy themselves. Not everyone wants to join a team or be a professional.

When a 10 year old and his friends want to play outside instead of sitting by a TV, it is better to walk a few minutes around the corner to a safe local site overlooked by residents than have to either cycle, be driven or walk for a long time to an “out of town” sports centre.

If this proposed area is at the end of Stanbridge Road, there will be access problems for pedestrians and cyclists making the car essential to use our sporting facilities.

So now you need your car to play football. Well please don’t misunderstand this as flippancy, it is not, this is a very serious problem but a car is no good in a game of football Cllr Owen – It only has one boot!