Peterborough's Werrington Fields protesters call for compromise deal to end six-year-long dispute

Campaigners have called for a compromise deal to be agreed over the future use of the publicly accessible Werrington Fields in Peterborough.

Protesters opposed to plans to give a 125 year lease on land equivalent to the size of eight football pitches to the adjoining Ken Stimpson Academy say that half of that amount would be acceptable.

The call came during a meeting of Peterborough City Council’s scrutiny committee today (August 2) as councillors considered whether to demand a review of the decision by the local authority ‘s cabinet on July 16 and which also agreed that the academy should also be able to fence off the large area of land.

The land, which is designated for education use, has been accessible to the public for more than 40 years.

But safeguarding concerns have meant the pupils at Ken Stimpson Academy have not been able to use land for sports lessons.

As a result the academy has requested the the land be fenced off with a paid for public access through various sports club to be allowed outside of school hours.

Resident Tony Forster said: “I object to any fencing on Werrington Fields.

"And anything more than the four football pitches is sheer greed. It is a land grab by the academy.”

Resident Nyree Ambarchian spoke of the importance for the mental and physical wellbeing of residents of access to green open space.

Many speakers also criticised the July 16 meeting of the cabinet, which only includes Labour councillors, for approving the plans with seemingly little discussion.

Werrington resident Jen Forester said: “The cabinet meeting was a farce.”

And she said that land equivalent to 2.5 football pitches for the academy’s PE lessons should be enough.

Peterborough First councillor John Fox, who was one of three councillors who ‘called in’ the cabinet’s decision, said an explanation was needed about how the academy’s demand for land had risen over three years from four football pitches to eight.

He said: “This is wrong for the community and wrong financially. The views of all political spectrums must be heard.”

But he said he was ‘proud’ that the the various group opposed to the move had agreed to settle for a compromise of four football pitches.

But Damien Whales, head teacher of Ken Stimpson Academy, told the meeting that the land, known as Area C was a minimum needed by the academy.

He said: “Thousands of children are not getting access to the school fields. We are speaking for them and for thousands of parents and pupils still to come.”

He said fencing off the fields was necessary to ensure proper safeguarding of both students and staff who should not be caught up in arguments with the public using the land during school time.

Following a near three hour long debate, councillors agreed that the decision of July 16 should be rethought.

They agreed unanimously that the matter should be referred back to full council via the cabinet.

And they asked that councillors at a future meeting of the full council will also consider the amount of land to be leased to the academy and the amount of open space that will be fenced off.