Battle over eight acre civil service playing fields site is back to the fore

Now angry campaigners are calling for Southampton City Council, which stepped in to buy the land, to open it up to the public

Shirley’s Friends of the Field group thought it had secured the future of old Civil Service ground for the community. It was later revealed that it would be restricted to school use.

The group has called a public meeting tonight to discuss the city’s “shocking” lack of progress with the eight-acre site behind St Mark’s Primary School.

Chair of the Friends, Cevn Vibert: “We believed that it was going to be sports and community use. But that’s one of the frustrating things. After years of meetings with the council we would have liked to have been included more. But the council has no obligation to us.”

As previously reported, the council purchased the land – described as “Southampton’s last Victorian playing field” – from Bovis Homes five years ago after more than 1,000 people signed a petition calling for it to be rescued from the developers.

That was the culmination of a ten-year campaign to save the field which had been closed since 1999.

Mr Vibert, who lives near the site, became involved in the campaign when he found his children had nowhere safe to learn to ride their bikes.

Now his children are in their 20s and field is still not accessible to the public, although it is used by schools.

The 56-year-old IT security specialist is asking for residents to get involved again to help preserve the fields “in perpetuity”.

Mr Vibert said: “We would be interested in forming a sort of coalition caretaker organisation. Of course we want the schools to use the field but the big hurdle is that is was purchased for school use only. It’s a registered open space and we’d like the community to be able to use it as well.

“Our aim is to build a fresh team, a ‘Friends of The Field Community Association’ to take the legacy forward.”

Back in 2004 Mr Vibert described his vision for the site as a new Shirley Park, complete with tennis, basketball and netball courts, with spots for barbecues, cycle tracks for youngsters, a running circuit, water features, benches and shelters.

Sports company Testlands manages the site for the council, and it is used by pupils from Freemantle, St Mark’s, Banister, Polygon, Regent’s Park and St John’s schools – with the hope that more schools including Richard Taunton’s College will use it from September.

Testlands CEO Luke Newman said: “We want to see it used more by members of the community as well, and we’ve used our own staff and resources, time and money to run the ground since March this year.

“We’d love to bring it back to how it was used decades ago.”

So why is the council letting the grass grow under its feet?

City leisure boss Cllr Satvir Kaur, pictured far left, said delays were due to “legal complexities” and added: “It was the developers who put the restrictions on the fields being only for school use. I’m really keen that the fields get the maximum use.”

However, leader of the Conservative opposition on the council, Jeremy Moulton, pictured far right, believes the authority is dragging its feet.

Cllr Moulton, who took the purchase through cabinet in March 2012 said: “It was done with a compulsory purchase order using the Education Act. Schools in the area had tripled in size and needed playing areas.

“But that doesn’t preclude community use. I think the council should commit to a five-year investment spend and put in a play park, for example, then that will set the community group up.”

Cllr Moulton said the council “lacked vision and leadership”.

He said: “They got £500,000 to get it cleared and levelled, and it’s just sitting there unused.

“It’s a total wasted opportunity. I’d want to see changing rooms built and start getting it used by local people. It could be the next St James’s Park.”

The Friends meeting will take place at the Freemantle United Reform Church on Shirley Road this evening at 7pm.

If you would like to get involved contact Cevn on cevn@vibert.co.uk or 07909 992786.

The Field Fact file

The boundaries of the field were established in 1830 when Shirley Common was enclosed by act of parliament.

Most of the common land was awarded to the Atherley family.

By the 1880s it had become the home ground of Freemantle AFC, the ‘Magpies’.

In 1895 Shirley and Freemantle became part of Southampton, the Atherley estate was broken up and developed into housing while the field survived.

A covenant dated 1927 states the ground should be used for sports only .

The Civil Service bought the ground in 1927 for £5,000.

The ground closed in 1999.

Its buildings were demolished after arson attacks in 1999.

Travellers set up camp on the field in 2003.

Bovis Homes bought the site from Civil Service in 2004 for £160,000.

In 2008, 2009 and 2010 the Friends held community festivals on the field to promote their campaign.

Southampton City Council bought the land from Bovis in 2012 for “less than” £400,000

The Field Fact file

-The boundaries of the field were established in 1830 when Shirley Common was enclosed by act of parliament.

-Most of the common land was awarded to the Atherley family.

-By the 1880s it had become the home ground of Freemantle AFC, the 'Magpies'.

-In 1895 Shirley and Freemantle became part of Southampton, the Atherley estate was broken up and developed into housing while the field survived.

-A covenant dated 1927 states the ground should be used for sports only .

-The Civil Service bought the ground in 1927 for £5,000.

-The ground closed in 1999.

-Its buildings were demolished after arson attacks in 1999.

-Travellers set up camp on the field in 2003.

-Bovis Homes bought the site from Civil Service in 2004 for £160,000.

-In 2008, 2009 and 2010 the Friends held community festivals on the field to promote their campaign.

-Southampton City Council bought the land from Bovis in 2012 for "less than" £400,000

-If you use Google maps to find the site is it labelled the Friends of the Field Playing Fields.