Agenda item

(District Council) The National Playing Fields Association is trying to get local authorities to nominate playing fields/open spaces/commons for QE2 Memorial Field status (with the aim of keeping these open spaces as “play spaces in perpetuity”) as a celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics in 2012.

The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge is an exciting grassroots legacy programme to mark the two great events that are taking place in the UK in 2012: Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics. It is the very first project to receive official endorsement by the Queen and will aim to protect 2012 playing fields in communities all across the country to be known as Queen Elizabeth II Fields - a 21st century version of the hugely popular King George V Memorial Fields.

Fields in Trust - the operating name of the National Playing Fields Association - has been the leading independent charity campaigning to protect and improve playing fields for more than 80 years with the long standing support of the Royal Family. HRH The Prince William of Wales will be leading this campaign as an active Patron of The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge.

The aim is to create a sense of public engagement around both the Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics by asking the nation to vote for their favourite local playing field to be protected. In order to achieve this Fields in Trust is looking for support from each Local Authority to identify a number of possible playing fields in their area that they would be happy to see protected. A national media campaign is planned to get the public to vote for their favourite sites with the eventual winners being selected as the Queen Elizabeth II Fields.

The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge is a unique opportunity to be involved in a high profile, nationwide campaign that has a real and tangible benefit to communities across the United Kingdom. The Challenge has the capacity to impact on a wide range of key agendas such as promoting social cohesion, increasing participation in physical activity and improving the environment. The campaign will be supported by a media partnership along with a series of top national sponsors and presents an excellent opportunity for Local Authorities to mark both the Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics.

Further details, the benefits of protecting fields, minimum criteria and frequently asked questions are attached.

Jon Cann, the Major Grants and Trusts Manager of the National Playing Fields Association will attend the meeting to make a presentation.

The committee received a presentation from Mr J Cann, Major Grants and Trusts Manager of the National Playing Fields Association, regarding the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge.

The National Playing Fields Association was established in 1925 protecting over 1,200 fields and 8,000 acres for 1 million people. The association had worked hard to strengthen the law regarding the sale of playing fields in order to protect them for the future.

The beneficiaries and reach of the association were:

• Free access to all socio-economic groups
• 1,200 + sites
• Access for 1.4 million people at any one time
• Formal sport and informal recreation
• Access to communities, sports and teams
• UK wide urban and rural

Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge

The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge was an exciting grassroots legacy programme marking two events in the United Kingdom in 2012; The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics. It was the very first project to receive official endorsement by the Queen and aimed to protect 2012 playing fields in communities across the country known as Queen Elizabeth II Fields. The Queen Elizabeth II Field Challenge created a fitting and lasting grassroots legacy across the UK marking both the Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics. The objective was to create a branded network of 2012 permanently protected outdoor spaces in communities across the UK by 2012. More information could be obtained from www.qe2fields.com

It was advised that any area of community space could become a Queen Elizabeth II Playing Field, the minimum size being half an acre, once designated it would receive a commemorative plaque. Receiving this designation provided an extra layer of protection from development. However protecting every such field needed public support, the national Playing Fields Association was dependent on notification being received that a field was under threat from development. Mr J Cann said that if there was proposed development affecting a field, they could object to planning permission.

Councillor C Pond advised of a local situation concerning local pieces of land where a change of use was requested to a playing fields. A letter had been sent to the Chief Executive of the District Council, the Acting Chief Executive, Mr D Macnab said that although he did not recall receiving the letter, he was interested as to which land had potential for being used as play fields. He would liaise with local councils.

Members asked about open land in the ownership of a school or college, could the use be extended to the public? Mr J Cann replied that some land owned by schools was open to the public already, a local council could approach a school and ask if they were willing to expand access to their land.

Open space under the protection of the Queen Elizabeth II Field Challenge was not protected from compulsory purchase. Some land had already been lost to development at the M25. However the development would need to be of a large scale and proven to have significant community benefit to warrant a compulsory purchase. Mr J Cann advised that he would find out more information regarding this and have this sent to the local councils.

The Chairman thanked Mr J Cann for his presentation.

RESOLVED:

That the presentation by Mr J Cann be noted.