The Recreation Field - What next?
The Parish Council have come to a critical stage regarding the Recreation Field and need your help to decide what to do next. Steve Kent-Philips gives us some history...
MR. HENRY HURRELL leased the Recreation Field to the Parish Council in 1988 for the princely sum of one pound a year provided that the Parish Council kept the field mown and adhered to certain other conditions such as not building on the field and not sub-letting it.
For some twelve years now, no Swaffham Prior sporting side has regularly used the Recreation Field. Sure, there have been Scout events and private people flying kites and walking dogs on there, but no regular use. In the past three years, there has been virtually no use at all. Indeed, it is now unsuitable for use as either a cricket pitch or as a football pitch due to lack of use and lack of facilities. Nevertheless, the Parish Council (i.e. you) spent money every year dutifully mowing it - that came to £1650 last year alone.
Almost exactly a year ago, what seemed a godsend arrived. Mr. Richard Freeman of the Burwell Tigers junior football club approached the Parish Council with a view to us leasing them the field twice a week for some under 12, U13, U14 games - whatever. Not only that, but they were looking to base a section of their club there and enter an agreement guaranteeing usage of the field for 25 years at least. Naturally, the Parish Council jumped at the idea, and I was assigned the liaison person.
At the first joint meeting, we agreed ground rules, the need for improved security and the need for the Tigers to erect (entirely at their own expense) three portacabins as facilities. Crucially, residents of Swaffham Prior were to have full access to the improved facilities when the Tigers did not need them, and the Tigers were to mow the field themselves in lieu of rent, saving the Parish (i.e. you) tens of thousands of pounds over the years.
It has taken until now to get the legalities sorted out - do we need planning, who is applying for it, who is paying for it, getting the drawings done, dealing with the solicitors etc. This is where we hit the snag. It appears that it would cost maybe up to £2,000 to get the solicitors to redraw the lease agreement with Mr. Hurrell to allow the Tigers to use the field - and remember, the entire lease is for just one pound a year. There are many reasons, but basically the original lease as drawn up in 1988 prohibits us from sub-letting the ground, putting buildings on there without permission and allowing someone from outside Swaffham Prior parish to use the ground. It needs to be torn up and redrawn.
For a while it seemed that Mr. Hurrell was OK with us breaking the covenants on the lease anyway and we were proceeding on that basis, but now, however, it appears that we absolutely must have the lease redrawn to proceed any further. As our entire budget this year is just £11,000, it is obviously unreasonable for the Parish Council to spend 18% of your yearly money on something that is not of direct benefit to the Parish and not in our budget. It is not even an option to have the Tigers pay for the solicitors because CALC (our local controlling body) advise us that we do not have the power to instruct solicitors to proceed in favour of someone not within the parish.
Which all leads me to our dilemma. As we stand now there are three options.
- Option 1. Call off the whole deal and revert to mowing an empty field for the next fifty years or so at a cost of at least £1650 a year. This will increase with inflation over the years.
- Option 2. Voluntarily give up the lease and return it to Mr. Hurrell to do with the field as he likes.
- Option 3. Voluntarily give up the lease and invite Burwell Tigers FC to take it on.
Mr. Hurrell has informed us verbally that he does not want option 2, but we could do it anyway if that is what the village wishes. Mr. Hurrell has also indicated that he would be happy to talk to the Tigers on option 3, and we are very hopeful that he is amenable to the change of name on the lease. The benefits/downsides are :
- Option 1 benefit. We keep the field just in case someone in the Parish at some time in the future wants to use it.
- Option 1 downside. We have to pay at least £1650 a year to do so. Burwell Tigers lose the use of the field. We always have the threat of having to deal with traveller invasions in the future.
- Option 2 benefit. We save at least £1650 a year. If we have another traveller invasion, we wouldn't have to pay for evictions and clean-up.
- Option 2 downside. We lose a gift to the village. We lose the use of the field if anyone wants to use it in the future. Burwell Tigers lose the use of the field.
- Option 3 benefit. We save at least £1650 a year. Burwell Tigers get a new base. We have no fears about having to deal with traveller invasions.
- Option 3 downside. We lose a gift to the village. We lose the exclusive use of the field should someone want to use it in the future, although we get usage of the field and vastly improved facilities when the Tigers are not there.
Now, it is such an important decision that the Parish Council opted to consult the Parish via the Crier before deciding. We still have time as the Tigers do not intend to play Junior football until September 2006, however they need to get the planning and funding applications moving as soon as is reasonably possible. Please send any comments (including any other options you can think of) to Karen King, Parish Clerk so that she can collate all your opinions and advise the Parish Council on what the Parish as a whole would like us to do next.