Fears for parkland

A SCHEME to turn parkland into playing fields for the new Peacehaven Community School has come under fire.

Land at the rear of The Joff has been earmarked for all-weather sports pitches. However, people are concerned that more town amenity land is being lost while its population and the number of planned homes soar.

Former town council member John Hodgson, of Capel Avenue, said The Joff land was popular with youngsters playing ball games, families and dog walkers.

He hit out at the plan: 'It is monstrous and quite ridiculous and smacks of short-termism. The best thing is for the school to expand near the leisure centre and leave us with the informal recreation area.

'It is the right facility but in the wrong place and the public will not be able to use the land because as part of a school it will be security fenced.'

Traffic congestion

He was also concerned that pedestrians who usually walked from North Peacehaven across the field to the Meridian Centre would no longer be able to do so and would, as a result, resort to their cars, worsening traffic congestion.

'People use it as a passageway to go to the Meridian Centre. If they can't use it they will be forced back into cars.'

Chairman of the Peacehaven Town Council planning committee, Paul Cosham, suggested Peacehaven Football Club facilities could be used by secondary school students.

'The town council has always been concerned over the shortage of amenities and amenity land. Peacehaven Football Club has been contacted regarding the school using their facilities, which allows the club's pitches to be used during the day and would save the cost of lights and maintenance, loss of amenity land and possible noise pollution to neighbours.'

He added: 'It is our view that children should have as many sporting opportunities as possible, which past governments have neglected by selling off school land at the possible expense of our young people's health. It is also possible for the football club to be accessed without going near roads. The county council should explore this idea before they spend public money unnecessarily.'

East Sussex County Council assistant director of education Michael Nix said the land at the rear of The Joff was owned by the county council and any other land would have to be paid for by the taxpayers.

He said: 'It has always been part of the site held for the secondary school. It was not needed for a school of 750 but it is now as it is being extended for 900 pupils because it is so popular.'

The county council had attempted to buy land near the Meridian Leisure Centre in the 1980's but was refused permission by the government on the grounds it was prime agricultural land.