FEARS OVER SPORTS PITCH ON MEADOW

A RESIDENTS’ group in Henley is set to clash with the town council over plans to allow a football team to train on a beauty spot.

Henley Exiles Football Club has requested to use Freemans Meadow, off Northfield End, because it has been unable to secure another venue to train.

The land, which is a designated town green, is maintained voluntarily by the Friends of Freemans Meadow. The group, which has about 75 members who live close to and use the meadows, say that land could be turned into a “mudbath” if used for sport.

Henley Exiles has requested use of 50 sq m in the middle of the open grassed area, which is owned by the town council.

It also wants to install two new full-size football goals and nets, which would be available for others to use outside of training times.

It would also bring in temporary floodlights which would be brought in and taken off each evening during darker winter evening sessions.

Town clerk Sheridan Jacklin-Edward has recommended that the council should allow the football club to train there.

He said that high demand has meant bookings for pitches in the town had booked up before the start of the season.

This includes bookings at the council’s £1m 3G pitch which opened at Jubilee Park, off Reading Road, this summer.

The council’s recreation and amenities committee will make a recommendation on the plan at its meeting at the town hall on Tuesday at 7.45pm.

The Friends of Freemans Meadow said if it is approved by the full council the footballers could cause noise and light pollution to houses in Pearce’s Orchard, Luker Avenue, Leicester Close and Northfield End.

Other concerns include the lack of car parking and facilities including toilets, as well as the risk of restricting the use of the green open space for others.

Helen Gaynor, who co-ordinates the group, said members were concerned the “big change” could impact on the “peaceful character” of the village green which regular users visit daily.

She said: “Freemans remains a fairly clean, grassed area for most of the year. There is the concern that once you start playing sports on it or training with football boots that the ground does get churned up and you could get a mudbath.

“It is a natural, green, open space that is used every single day, by more or less the same people that come from the immediate locality to walk to exercise their dogs, get some fresh air, to bring their small children.

“Already we have a problem in the area about congestion and illegal parking on the green verges on the Fair Mile which churn the grass up, block peoples’ drive and create danger on the roads.

“It isn’t a sports field, it is a recreational area to serve the housing around it, that’s the view.”

Mrs Gaynor said a trial period was the only way to properly assess the impact of the agreement, and said members of the group wanted a “fair hearing”.

She said: “We don’t see football training as being in keeping with quiet enjoyment.

“What we need assurances of is that the football training activity isn’t going to impact or restrict the free use of Freemans Meadow to any other users.

“Everybody is entitled to use it but everybody’s use of it shouldn’t impact on others.”

Mrs Gaynor said she wanted to “alert the wider community” about the plans, so residents could take the opportunity to provide feedback at council next week.

Tony Lawson-Smith, who lives off Pearce’s Orchard, said he didn’t think it was appropriate to hold football training on a space surrounded by “several hundred” people’s homes.

He said he would like the interests of residents to be considered in future decisions about the agreement.

Mr Lawson-Smith said: “It seems to be an unsuitable venue for this exercise. There are several hundred people that live on the four sides of Freemans Meadow.

“Management and the running of it are crucial, it’s like someone is coming and commandeering an area of common ground that we all should be enjoying. I question whether the space we’ve got here is big enough, people kicking footballs cover quite an area.”

Mr Jacklin-Edward told the Standard: “We recognise that peak training slots — particularly weekday evenings — are in high demand.

“Community requests for increased capacity led the council to develop the new 3G pitch at Jubilee Park.

“However, even before the season began, all peak slots were fully booked, highlighting the ongoing need for additional facilities.

“The purpose of Tuesday’s discussion is to find a balanced approach that considers the needs of current users of Freemans Meadow, nearby residents and other members of the community seeking suitable places to train and practice.”

Nathaniel Charles, chairman of the Henley Exiles, declined to comment.