Save Ewell Playing Fields

Have enjoyed playing football here many times, this would be a great loss for sport and the local area.

It is unbelieveable that whilst from Government level down we are supposed to be encouraging all ages to participate in sport and a healthy lifestyle, that plans should be put forward to build on outdoor sporting facilities in the Borough.

Old Salesians have a long and proud history supporting their youth through to senior level sports representation, gaining valuable life experience and life skills as well as health benefits now sorely lacking amongst our youth. The selling off of these playing fields for financial gain is extremely short sighted in the extreme.

I first visited this ground with a party from Sacred Heart School Battersea in 1950, and ever since have seen my own children and grandchildren benefit from the green space to play, and the community spirit of everyone who shares the ground.
Do not let the developers take this community asset away!

I have played football on this ground a few times and it will be missed. Such bad news especially for a local government that prides its self on the amount of greenland and open spaces.

I find it astonishing that the Salesians would consider selling the land to the highest bidder over ensuring that the playing fields are kept for recreational purposes. The Salesians are supposed to be carers, educationalists and providers for young people. Advocating physical exercise is imperative to leading healthly lifestyles and advocating meaningful engagement in communities is imperative to leading fulfilled lives. Even if the playing fields are redundant to the Salesian College, surely arrangements can be made for a local school/eduaction authority to purchase the land for use? This would also allow opportunity for the schools and well established sports clubs that currently use the facility to negotiate continued use of them. Utterly scandalous!

Ewell sports ground is a wonderful institution and a great green space inside the M25. The Club has presented the opportunity for players to build their love for sport, a safe environment for families to play and has created a strong sporting community. After the success at the 2012 Olympics, it is sad to see sports facilities potentially being used for development and not supporting school and club sports.

as a referee i have done games here and it should stay otherwise schools will soon have no were to play and local clubs will disapear

Having played on the pitches for years as part of Salesian College this would be a sad day. Even worse that the site is not suitable for housing and the Olympic legacy is under threat again.

Where will it stop! Before long, all private playing fields will be gone to housing!!

What is the world coming to when every piece of green land, it seems, is being built upon for profit, and the opportunities for young people to play sport and be outside in a safe environment keeps being taken away.

Why can't common sense prevale instead of greed for once!

Shame on our Council for even allowing this to be considered. Ewell is a very special and beautiful village that does not need anymore traffic flowing through it, or the train station for that matter!

Absolute outrage! I totally object to this. Keep our playing fields!!

We must prevent this development from going ahead. If this development on a playing field is allowed, other developments on playing fields, parks and green open spaces will continue in the Borough of Epsom and Ewell.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLOR.

We must all contact our local Epsom and Ewell Councillors to tell them how we feel about this proposed development, as they will be the people making the final decision, when this matter goes before the Planning Committee.

We can also attend the next Planning Committee at Epsom and Ewell Town Hall to speak to the Councillors on the Planning Committee.

The following Councillors were on the Planning Committee in 2013/14 (2014/15 list not published yet):-

BECKETT John
BOOKER Ian
CARLSON Sheila
CLARKE James
DALLEN Paul
DUDLEY Graham (Chair)
JONES Anna
KELLY Alison
MAYALL Dave
REYNOLDS (ViceChair) Humphrey
SMITHERAM Clive
TEASDALE Mike
WOOD David

EPSOM AND EWELL COUNCIL IS RUN BY THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION, SO THEY SHOULD LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS!

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLOR.

Children need space to play and keep fit, not all children have gardens or the parents dont have time to go to the park

What is wrong with everyone it boils down to money all the time, they say our children need exercise but they want to build on everything. There will be no where for the rain to drain away and more floods if we build on everything.

Regards

Cheryl Horgan

Build high if you must build, but public open space is sacred.

Green spaces and sports facilities must be protected, especially in built up areas such as this.

Surely building on playing fields is in conflict with the council's responsibility to ensure children and adults have access to facilities that promote exercise and good health.

The development proposed will create a totally unacceptable & very dangerous increase in traffic.

This cannot happen. With three schools trying to change over to Primary status, at least one of these will need playing fields for their junior children to have their compulsory PE lessons. Who, on our council, is even showing interest in this ridiculous plan?

The loss to the village and to children and adults seeking to play sport - whether as 'sport for all' or to a top standard, would be unacceptable. No exploitation of any loophole in the Strategic Open Space, green infrastructure etc. policies can be permitted. The facility currently works so well environmentally and in a sporting sense, long may it remain so.

The open space is a vital space to be preserved and used for sporting and social activities.

Ewell Village needs to be respected for its open spaces, this area should remain a sports field
as far too many sports fields are been built upon. Also with the recent flooding and the awful traffic congestion in and around the ewell by pass and ewell village extra housing would put far
too much pressure on the overcrowded roads we have.

Please stop trying to build on our green spaces. There are so few left now and those that are are highly valued not only by members of the community but also the local wildlife. We must remember also that once these areas are built on it is highly unlikely that they will ever be restored to the green areas they are now. As such please do not proceed with this application, it would hugely impact the quality of the area.