Campaigners 'shock' at new move to end Werrington Fields disputre

Campaigners battling to save public access to Peterborough’s Werrington Fields have vowed to step up their fight ahead of a crucial council meeting.

Members of the Save Werrington Fields action group say they are shocked that Peterborough City Council’s ruling cabinet is to be recommended to ignore a previous decision for the issue to be debated by all councillors.

Jenna Maryniak, of Save Werrington Fields, said: “It is shocking and undemocratic that councillors will ignore the decision for this matter to be debated by full council and that the council will not use planning procedures.

"We will be present at the meeting to address councillors and our solicitors will restate the need for the council to go through the planning process as this is a change of use of the land.”

Her comments have been prompted by an officers’ recommendation to councilors, who met on October 15, to approve a 125 year lease for an area the size of eight football pitches to the Ken Stimpson Academy for sports use.

The same area, known as Area C, will be fenced off as a pupils’ safeguarding measure but it will mean there will no longer be access for the public to the land.

Nearby residents say they have been able to use the land for 40 years and the school only needs half the site.

The proposals to be considered next week are the same as those agreed by the Cabinet in July.

They were overturned by a scrutiny committee meeting in August which demanded the matter be debated by the full council.

However, officers will tell the Cabinet next week that the first decision ‘remains the preferred option as it aligns with the Council’s statutory obligations and enables Area C to be returned to educational use.

They will state: “The Council has a statutory duty to take all reasonable steps to facilitate the conversion of the school into an Academy.

"The Department for Education expects the Council to grant a lease of all the school land to the Academy.”

Members will be told options to send the matter to full council or re-open negotiations to lease and fence a smaller area of land for the Academy Trust are not recommended.