Academy headteacher outlines vision for sports provision in dispute over Peterborough's Werrington Fields

The headteacher of Peterborough’s Ken Stimpson Academy has outlined his vision for the development of school and public sports at the disputed Werrington Fields.

The academy wants an area the size of eight football pitches, called Area C, fenced off to ensure students can enjoy a full range of sports and PE lessons in a properly safeguarded area.

But some Werrington residents say enclosing Area C will mean the loss of public access to the land which local people have enjoyed for more than 40 years.

The dispute has raged for six years with the academy adamant that safeguarding pupils should be the priority.

Members of Peterborough City Council’s ruling cabinet had agreed on July 16 that Area C should be leased for 125 years to the school and be enclosed. It was agreed a community use agreement should also be put in place.

But that decision was ‘called in' and was reviewed by the scrutiny committee on August 2 which agreed it must be looked at by the full council in the near future.

Damien Whales, headteacher of Ken Stimpson Academy, told councillors at the education scrutiny committee: “This has gone on for too many years and in the centre of the dispute and the collateral damage are thousands of children without access to their school fields.

He said: “There is a small but vocal voice in some parts of the community that is suggesting that what we are proposing is immoral, anti-community and is being played out to feed some private company.

Mr Whales said: “The school is an integral part of the community

"Our vision is to maximise use of the area, which has huge potential and greatly enhance it."

He said that during the summer athletics would take much of the area while in winter use of pitches had to be rotated to avoid damage.

He said fixtures, tournaments and festivals with other other schools could be reinstated.

It is expected a local football club will run mid-week training and weekend fixtures for 13 teams from under-sixes to under-18s.

It would allow the development of cricket pitches for senior and junior levels.

Some would be planted to create nature habitats and provide areas where students would study and spend break time instead of on tarmaced areas as at present.

Mr Whales said he had approached local football clubs and Cricket East, which is looking to open a hub in the area, to gauge their interest in formalised sports access to the fields when not in use by the school.

He said all groups were interested but had made it clear the area had to be fenced off to protect children.

He went on: “The safeguarding measures now in place in schools can’t be compared to those 10 years ago, never mind 40 years ago.

"The world has changed and the expectation for a school to safeguard is paramount.”

Mike Sandeman, chief executive of the Four Cs Multi Academy Trust, said: “This is young people’s land. It is a legacy for young people.

"This is not about a compromise. It is about taking something away from young people.”