Leighton sports ground is for the community and cricketers alike, say councillors

WESTBURY Town Council has reaffirmed that the grounds at Leighton Sports and Recreation Centre should be a recreational area with a cricket pitch, not a cricket pitch with a recreational area.

The town council reaffirmed their position in response to discussions between Westbury Cricket Club and Wiltshire Council over a potential lease which the town council say included the possibility of taking control of the park and relegating the area for community use to a very small part.

The cricket club refute these claims and say they are looking to rope off the playing area to put an end to dog mess being left there and to deter any vandalism. They also say that a lease would provide an opportunity to apply for grants to make the area more multi-use, with the inclusion of a 4G football pitch and tennis facilities.

At the town council meeting on Monday 5th September over 20 people were in attendance at the public forum as cricket club members and supporters were joined by members of the local residents’ association and a local dog walking group to speak about how they would like to see the green space being used. The town council heard passionate pleas from both sides before going into discussion.

Speaking at the meeting, cllr Mike Sutton said, “I’d like to make the point that this motion doesn’t change anything, it is just reinforcing what happened back in March, when the cricket club came here and asked if we would support them in their struggle with Wiltshire Council to get better terms and conditions and better use of the facilities there.

“We were fully supportive and at the time we said the cricket club is a very valued part of our community; it brings substance to the town, and it brings community spirit. But we were also aware that green spaces are becoming more difficult to find and that the history of the site is that the land was granted to the council many years ago, with part of the use for cricket activities.

“The reason we are bringing this back today is that this is still our position. As a town council, we have no legal position to alter the lease, but we can try and make our views known to Wiltshire Council and hopefully that will carry some weight.

“What we need to do is balance the needs of the cricket club and the needs of the wider community which has not been helped with some of the more fanciful comments flying around on social media. After wading through the various by-laws associated with this, it is clear that one by-law contradicts the next and that these rules should be enforced by Wiltshire Council. There is some concern with the way that the club is going, that the club could be the one to enforce these rules and that is not something we would want to support.

“We as a council are fully supportive of the cricket club in their aims of getting a better deal from Wiltshire Council, but we do want the needs of the community to be respected and access, which the public historically has had despite some of the wilder claims of ownership going back to the 1950s, the people of that area do rely on this space. We are looking for this to be a recreational area with a cricket pitch, not a cricket pitch with a recreational area.”

“Organised sport must come first”

Cllr Matt Dean added, “A balance does need to be found in this but organised sport on this site, in my view, must come first. This land primarily should be used for what it is designated – a cricket club with ancillary organised sporting facilities.

“If the cricket club can’t demonstrate to their national body that they are running a proper operation with the potential for good quality facilities, it is very unlikely that they will get outside funding. Dog mess and vandalism at the site cannot help this case.

“I am concerned about the future of this site. Wiltshire Council have made the decision to bring all leisure facilities in-house, which may mean they may wish to close sites that are inefficient or ones that have low footfall. We have a cricket recreational ground that has been seemingly forgotten about; the best hope for Leighton sports ground is for the cricket club to lead the process and get a lease, so they can apply for grants to help bring the area to life.

“Of course, the club needs to be good neighbours and they need to recognise that their membership is drawn from the communities affected by this issue and work with the parties. Social media comments have been divisive and unhelpful with this matter.”

Wiltshire Council will undergo a consultation of the lease soon, where the public can have their say on the future of the site.