Werrington Fields campaigners query funding for school’s legal challenge

Residents have been fighting for about seven years to prevent an area the size of eight football pitches at Werrington Fields being fenced off for use by the nearby Four Cs Academy Trust, which operates Ken Stimpson Academy.

Although councillors voted a year ago for a compromise solution, the Four Cs Academy Trust have sought a judicial review in the courts to challenge the local authority’s move.

The trust says it needs the full eight football sized area to provide sport and PE and that it must be fenced to safeguard students.

But the campaigners of the Save Werrington Fields action group, who say the public have enjoyed access to the area for years, are demanding answers as paperwork seems to show that the council has agreed to pay the trust’s legal fees.

They say that documentation states: “The Defendant (Peterborough City Council) shall pay the Claimant’s (Four Cs Academy Trust) reasonable and properly incurred legal costs.”

Werrington resident Nyree Ambarchian said: “It’s bad enough that the Four Cs Academy Trust is unwilling to compromise and is grabbing much more space than they need – having ignored the decision of our elected representatives.

"But now, at a time when the council is strapped for cash, they are also demanding the council pay their legal fees.

"This is on top of the £73,ooo the council is paying for the fencing.”

Campaigners are also angry that they seem to have been shut out of negotiations between the trust and the council, despite being named in the same documents as an ‘interested party’.

So far 100 written requests have been submitted urging that Werrington councillors and its Neighbourhood Council are involved in the negotiations.

Nyree said: “Our local councillors have been shut out of the negotiations to agree on important points like what the fence will look like, noise and lighting levels, and access for local people. This can’t be right.”

The judicial review is expected to go on until April 30.

A council spokesperson said: “Due to ongoing legal proceedings regarding the field we are unable to comment.”

The Four Cs Academy has been approached for a response.