As part of my 'insider' project (!!), See below a letter those opposed to warren Farm are sending to pretty much every councilor in the London Borough of Ealing. To be fair I have to say I agree with a lot of this in principle (subject to them actually following through on how they intend to achieve it) although it doesn't affect me in any way as I live nowhere near any more, but I am sure many will not agree -
Dear Councillor,
There is a great opportunity coming up for the Borough of Ealing to have a fantastic new school and community sports centre, run by the community, for the community.
When it was maintained by the ILEA in the 1960s and 70s this Sports Centre supported six rugby pitches, 11 hockey pitches, 10 netball courts, 20 tennis courts, 13 soccer pitches, 1 archery range, golf, 1 mile cross country run, 16 cricket tables, 20 cricket nets, 3 softball pitches, 6 rounder’s pitches, 3 volleyball courts (grass), 2 x 400 metre tracks (8 lanes), 3 high jump pits, 2 long jump pits, 1 triple jump pit, 3 pole vaults, 2 shot put circles, 3 discus circles and a javelin area. The space was used by Schools from across the Borough and hosted sporting events from across West London for example the APNA Primary Schools Football Tournament played annually in June and the Tamil School Sports Association Tri-Sport Tournament of football, cricket and netball.
It could be like this again, with lots of work from us and a little help from you.
As you will be aware, the Council proposes to lease all of these 61 acres, to a commercial organisation for 200 years at a peppercorn rent. This would enable them to build their Training and Academy building on two thirds of this public land, providing only a small pavilion, with few changing facilities, at a distance from, and out of sight of, the community pitches. Their focus is on football, and inadequate facilities are provided for the cricket pitches which in any case overlay the football pitches.
The community, and local sports groups and sports associations from across the Borough are working hard to bring Warren Farm Sports Centre back into full use by the whole community for an even wider range of sports.
Ealing Council is currently reviewing an application to list Warren Farm in its entirety as an Asset of Community Value which will enable the community to bid to manage their sports centre when it next comes up for disposal. One third of the land is already listed as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act. The Community could, and should be allowed to, tender to run the whole of this sports land for the benefit of the community.
All you need to do to enable this fantastic community sports opportunity is to oppose the current planning application seeking permission for this commercial operation to build on this Metropolitan Open Land designated as Community Open Space, and to oppose leasing any of this publicly-owned land to any commercial operation for their own benefit. Please write to the Leader of the Council indicating your support for the community and opposition to the planning application.
We are there to support you, our councillors, in this perfect opportunity to keep a public sports centre entirely open to all the public.
Will you be there for us?
Regards, [Post edited 12 Aug 2015 12:25]
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