Future of Recreation Ground still undecided (From Gazette Series)
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Future of Recreation Ground in Dursley still undecided
8:30am Wednesday 16th January 2013 in News By Daniel Chipperfield
THE FUTURE of Dursley’s War Memorial Recreation Ground is still undecided as the issue went through another round of voting at Dursley Town Council.
At Dursley Town Council’s full meeting on Tuesday, January 8, a proposal to make the council trustees of the field, thus giving further protection to its recreational use in the future, was hotly contested.
Cllr Sue Creswick said she believed that town council protection was enough.
"I want to know where people think the threat is coming from," she said.
"The implication is that the trust can’t be trusted to look after it. We are suggesting we can’t trust a future council.
"No one has brought up the implications of using a trust. I am just not happy that we spend the money and the administrative effort on this."
But Cllr Alex Stennett thought there was something to the proposal.
"The Rec is an extremely important piece of recreational ground for Dursley," he said.
"We are protecting ourselves from unknown threats all the time, It is called insurance."
Cllr Claire Nelmes said the council would be "insane" to even consider it.
With a number of councillors absent from the meeting, the vote was tied at four voting against the proposal and four in favour, meaning Mayor Jane Ball had the casting vote.
"This is quite tough as it is quite an emotive issue but I have to go with my original decision against it," she said.
All councillors then voted in favour of getting a second opinion on the future protection of the fields.
The issue of the grounds' future arose after the council ultimately decided to go against initial plans at the beginning of December to sign a Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge deed of dedication.
This would have placed a covenant on the fields, ensuring they would always be used for recreational purposes as well as adding "a Queen Elizabeth Field" to its name.
