Twyford Avenue Sports Ground (TASG)

 Summary of the CARA – AGM presentation 17th May 2007

  Background.

There has been a sports ground on this site since 1899, when it was owned by the Elms Estate and leased out to the Mill Hill Cricket Club.

In 1921, ownership of the 24 acres passed to The Gas Light and Coal Company and their successors owned by British Gas.

When opened on the 25th June 1921 it comprised a number of football pitches, a cricket square, facilities for a number of other sports including Tennis and a bowling green with a thatched pavilion (in the 4 acre north east corner of the ground) and a clubhouse. (NB map A)

Until 1999, the sports field was run and developed by British Gas primarily for their employees and families but also for outsiders/friends, as members of the “Salamander Club”.

As time went by and increasingly after the 60’s, the facilities became let out – to St Vincent’s Primary and Twyford High Schools as well as many local sports clubs. During the 90’s Squash, Badminton and Table Tennis were also being played by ‘non employees’

You could say, that partly through necessity and possibly by an enlightened approach, British Gas was providing valuable facilities to the benefit of the community as a whole - ranging from children to pensioners.

In 1999 Loftus Road PLC. (QPR FC) purchased the 24 acre site from British Gas.

Within a year, CARA became concerned with the uncertainty surrounding the intentions of the new owners. Rents had been significantly increased and there was a fast reduction of usage by community clubs and schools.

CARA quickly set up a Steering Committee to monitor the situation. It was important to conserve the 24 acre site as a sports ground, particularly as it had become most valuable to the community as a whole.

 

By July 2001 however use of the facilities by all community clubs had ceased. These included The Salamander Bowls Club (80 years in existence), the cricket club, Squash, Badminton and various local football clubs as well as St Vincent’s Primary School (first use of the site in 1964).

In reality, the bowls club were given no option but to leave and the land is still idle seven years later.

Unfortunately all the facilities on the 4 acre section in the North East Corner of the ground have not been looked after and are now beginning to deteriorate. Whilst the tennis court area was still being used up until July of 2006 the whole section was fenced off in September of that year.

Since 2001 the site has been mainly used by Wasps RFC (professionals) and Wasps FC (amateurs). It has also been used by Twyford High school but on a much reduced level

The ground is now owned partly by Shanley Homes and partly by Wasps FC.

CARA action and Policy.

Over the last seven years members of CARA have attended many meetings at both local government and inspector level to highlight issues and to protect the site as a sports ground.

Our stated policy reflects aims which we believe are appropriate in the circumstances.

CARA considers the 24 acre site, known historically as The Twyford Avenue Sports Ground, wholly within the context of Community Open Space (COS.)

As such all further development must ensure it is maintained, in its entirety, as a sports and recreational facility and be to the long term benefit of the community - its schools, its sports clubs and its residents.

As a result of our numerous representations, two important successes have come about:

1. The whole 24 acres was confirmed as Community Open Space (COS).

  2. The Supplementary Planning Document (SPD 6) was confirmed. This outlines the Council’s Policy which is supportive of community aims.

Recently our Chairman requested confirmation of the Council’s intentions with regard to protecting the sports ground from inappropriate development. In her reply, Aileen Jones, Planning Manager (Strategic Development Services stated:

“The Adopted UDP designates the land as Community Open Space and therefore the relevant open space policy applies.

This does not preclude development but advises that any development must be directly related to the open space use of the land. The relevant policy is 3.4 and can be viewed on the Council’s web-site.”

Action already taken by CARA therefore, appears to have provided a sound basis for safeguarding the proper future use of the sports ground.

However over the past 2 years or so, the owners/developers have taken initiatives which could well put at risk the scope of the COS policy by seeking to selectively develop specific areas of the sports ground.

Current Issues.

 The initiatives taken and possible implications are as follows: (NB Map B)

1.Split of the ground apparently separating the ownership of the 4 acre section (Shanley Homes) from the remaining 20 acres (Wasps FC).

2.A new access area implying a roadway into the 4 acre section.

These two actions are already recorded by H. M. Land Registry. An obvious conclusion is that Shanley Homes are preparing the way for housing development in due course. - A loss of open space therefore.

3. A Planning Application is anticipated (within the next two/three months) for a new two storey changing room/offices building.

This risks an over intensification of the ground’s use as well as possibly creating the need for extra parking and loss of open space.

More importantly however if permitted it could indicate the start a ‘nibbling’ process which would ease the way for the passing of other individual applications.

4. Possibility of a changing room building for Twyford High School.

Similar risks of over intensification of use and pressure on parking.

5Non objection by Wasps FC to TFL’s proposal to place their storage depot on the old cricket pavilion site.

This appears to imply that Wasps FC are content to see this section of open space lost to uses other than sports/recreation in the future – possibly parking.

6.Siting of Portacabins on the ground for use by Middlesex RFU as an administrative centre.

This is already temporarily in place on a three year arrangement. If and when removed, the way could well be open for further open space loss to inappropriate development – building and/or parking.

Conclusions.

Any of these initiatives could have the effect of undermining the scope of the COS policy as laid out in the UDP, unless the overall planning process is properly monitored.

There is an obvious danger in permitting any development of individual initiatives outside the context of whole 24 acres site. This would risk a gradual ‘nibbling’ away of pieces of the ground resulting in a possible configuration as shown by Map B.

To safeguard the nature of the sports ground therefore, it is essential that the complete ’24 acres’ is treated as a single unit and that any individual request for development be considered within the context of its whole COS designation.

The first real test is likely to be triggered if and when an application for the new two storey changing room/offices building is placed (Item 3 above). This must be opposed.

In view of the initiatives which have already been taken, it is likely that a developer will attempt to ‘get around’ the constraints of the COS designation by offering some kind of arrangement which might be interpreted as providing some “complementary benefit” to the community.

If the Map B configuration comes about there is a distinct possibility that even further losses to inappropriate development will follow.

The threat to the Twyford Avenue Sports Ground is therefore clear.

This valuable community asset, which has stood for the best part of 100 years, is vulnerable to the aims of the developer.

It is imperative we continue to work, with the council’s support, to secure the proper and permanent use of the 24 acres for the community as a whole.