Campaigners plan town hall protest over 'land grab' at Peterborough's Werrington Fields
Campaigners outline new compromise solution
Campaigners have described new plans for Werrington Fields as a ‘land grab’ and are urging councillors to adopt a compromise solution to resolve the long-running dispute over use of the playing fields.
Protesters are angry at the amount of land Peterborough City Council proposes should be fenced off at the publicly accessible Werrington Fields for use by secondary school pupils at Ken Stimpson Academy.
The council claims the action is needed to safeguard pupils but protesters say it will mean a major reduction in access for the public that has been enjoyed for decades.
Members of the Save Werrington Fields group say that only an area the size of 2.5 football pitches of Werrington Fields should be fenced off for the use by the academy instead of the council's proposed site which is the size of about eight football pitches.
The group is planning to stage a protest outside Peterborough Town Hall on Tuesday (July 16) ahead of a meeting of Peterborough City Council’s ruling cabinet to consider proposals that would involve leasing the land to the academy with Area C – roughly the size of eight football pitches – fenced off for sports use by pupils at the academy.
The council says that fencing off the area will ensure the safeguarding of the pupils.
The row over Werrington Fields began in 2019, when the council first proposed fencing off part of them for use by the school during term time.
In a letter to councillors, Jenna Maryniak, of the Save Werrington Fields organising group, states: "The fact the requirement has now increased from 2.5 pitches to eight appears to be a simple land grab.
“We do not wish for a protracted battle that results in the children being denied access to the fields.
"Equally, we do not wish to see an area of eight football pitches fenced and empty for the majority of the time.
"There is a compromise of 2.5 fenced pitches, which was deemed sufficient for the school in 2019.
"We would urge you to represent and promote the best interests of the community, as well as the Ken Stimpson pupils, and support the widely supported compromise of 2.5 pitches and resolve this issue quickly.”