Free, informal access to continue
The last 10 months may have seemed the quietest since 2002, when the City Academy’s plans to develop Packers Field first became public knowledge.
Free, informal access to continue
The last 10 months may have seemed the quietest since 2002, when the City Academy’s plans to develop Packers Field first became public knowledge.
In fact, the work of local campaigners trying to maintain free public access to Packers has continued throughout this period, and is to be rewarded with the implementation of a Community Use Agreement, or CUA. This CUA should uphold the right of local people to continue to use the site for informal sport and leisure, as they have done for generations. This is good news for local residents of all ages and backgrounds, in advance of the field re-opening in April or May.
What is a CUA?
A CUA is a document that is required when councils and government give funding to develop sports facilities. It is a signed legal document that makes it clear who can use the facilities and who is responsible for managing them. In the case of Packers, the CUA will be signed by the City Academy and Bristol City Council.
History of the Packers Field CUA
The implementation of a CUA was one of the conditions attached to planning permission granted to the Academy. However, this does not tell the whole story. ‘Community use’ refers primarily to official, organised groups of people who book the facilities (sports clubs, schools, etc). The rights of informal users (e.g. walkers, kite-flyers, children having a ‘kickabout’) are not automatically covered by a CUA. Indeed, the Academy stated from the beginning that its commitment was only to organised sport. The original CUA proposed by the Academy in 2005 consisted of just a few paragraphs, with no meaningful content regarding public use or the Academy’s responsibilities. It was understandably rejected by local people. The new agreement that has been agreed and signed is a robust, meaningful document, WRITTEN AND PROPOSED BY MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. Both of these documents are available to view at www.packersfield.org.uk.
The CUA now allows the local community and the school to enjoy the benefits of this green space, as has always been the intention of campaigners. However, the management of the CUA by the Academy will need to be monitored closely by all parties, as some questions remain over how the Academy can be held to account to do what it says it will do.
What does the Packers CUA mean for local people?
The CUA sets out a number of important guarantees for informal users of the field. These include:
– Free public access to the site at all times between 7.30am and dusk.
– The City Academy to be responsible for maintenance and safety of site.
– Annual consultation meetings with the Academy to discuss progress of informal use of the site, including grievances /
concerns. Local residents are strongly encouraged to attend these public meetings.
Informal users of Packers also have responsibilities under the terms of the CUA. These include:
– Not interfering with formal sports activities on the field or posing a health and safety risk to other users.
– Moving to other parts of the site if reasonably requested to do so by ground staff.
– Not walking dogs on the site.
This is only a brief summary of the agreed CUA. For a more detailed understanding of its content, please consult the original document at
www.packersfield.org.uk/news/cua2.htm or by contacting the City Academy.
Future development of Packers Field?
It has long been public knowledge that the Academy and Bristol City Council are keen to develop an athletics facility on Packers Field. A previous plan for a stadium and artificial running track was quickly retracted following public opposition, but both parties have since made clear their desire to see an athletics facility on the site. This poses some very serious challenges for the future, not least to the validity of the CUA itself. If an athletics facility were to be located on the site, any free space for informal use would undoubtedly be lost. It is also a very real possibility that floodlights will be part of the plan, which would affect many people in Whitehall and Greenbank. This may well become the next part of the campaign and will again need popular local support to stop it form happening.
Let’s end on a positive note! The Academy has made considerable concessions on its original vision for Packers Field, due to the strength and initiative of the local community. These concessions are a tribute to every person who has signed a petition, written a letter, attended a meeting or just supported the campaign with words of encouragement. The future of the field is still a long way from certain, but what we have achieved so far should give us the belief that we can further influence events and decisions.
To celebrate this positive development in the campaign, there will be a social evening at the White Hart pub on Whitehall Road on Sunday 30th March from 8 till late. There will be live bands, DJs and the chance to catch up with people who have supported the campaign over the last few years. Entry is free, although donations towards the ongoing costs of the campaign are appreciated. All welcome, please come along.
http://www.packersfield.org.uk
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