The Friends of Udney Park Playing Fields (FUPPF)

Newsletter 27 26th September 2017

UDNEY PARK PLAYING FIELDS TRUST

A charitable trust, Company number 10953531, has been formed and is ready to take over this wonderful heritage in trust for perpetuity for the benefit of the whole Teddington Community. We want to see the entire 12+ acres together with a well-refurbished existing pavilion made available to all local sports clubs, community groups, Park Lane Stables, the scouts etc. The Trust is ready to provide Quantum with a graceful exit and to work with TCSG CIC to achieve an outcome in which all can win.

Update – Richmond Local Plan

The public hearings are about to start. The status of Udney Park Playing Fields as a Local Green Space (LGS) is on the agenda from 9:30 onwards Monday October 9th, hopefully more precise timings to follow. The hearing is at York House, Twickenham, and members of the public are welcome.

Apart from the predictably massive 86-page challenge by Quantum to Richmond Council's decision to grant Udney LGS status there are a number of personal objections. Many of these have curiously similar "corporate language" and would appear to have been given some assistance composing their representations – unsurprisingly. See this;

Dear Mr … My reason for contacting you is to see if you would be happy to write a support letter on our behalf and if it makes it easier – I am happy to draft one for you?! Also, do you know of any other people who would be happy to support? We have trying to submit 1,000s of support letters and are well on target but as you know there is a local group who are against our proposals so we need to do everything we can to make sure we get the message out loud and clear to the Council that local people want this to happen! Let me know in due course. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards Tracy Melling Community Engagement Manager Quantum Group

One constant element of these representations is to deny any extensive use of the playing fields in the past--"they were private". This of course is irrelevant in respect of the future but the implication that Imperial College denied the public access to the fields is simply untrue. Imperial made great efforts to encourage clubs to use the site--see this invitation from their website:

Here are some of the organisations that used the fields previously:

Richmond CC, Teddington CC, St James CC, Brixton West Indian CC, Fulham Taverners CC, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Staff CC, Sheen Vets CC, Teddington Swans Netball Club, Kidscoach Soccer School, England RFU Sevens Squad, Newland House School, Harlequin Amateurs, UAU, Ampleforth & Monmouth Schools, Rosslyn Park RFC, TAFC, Macmillan Cancer research Big Coffee Morning, Teddington RFC, + various kids camps.

Repeating a falsehood continually does not make it true!

A further phrase constantly repeated by the anti-LGS brigade is that by not supporting Quantum's plans they will "lock up the site & we will have nothing"- this is emphatically not so!

The Friends of Udney Park Playing Fields are ready to take over the Playing Fields through the Charitable Trust and make them available to all - see following “Plan B”. Maintaining the LGS status of Udney Park Playing Fields is crucial to this vision!

Please support us and follow us:

Facebook: Friends of Udney Park Playing Fields Twitter: @UPPFFriends Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.saveudneypark.org.uk Sign our petition: Save Outdoor Sports-Fields

UDNEY PARK FIELDS FOREVER!

"Errors & omissions excepted. Every attempt has been made to paint a true and fair picture of what is being proposed for Udney Park Playing Fields. If you believe a fact has been misrepresented, please email [email protected]: and, if we have got something wrong, we will correct. Opinions of course are our own!" You are getting this email because you requested it or have had dealings or communications with FUPPF and/or its supporters or represent local media or are Councillors or planning professionals. If you wish to be removed from our list please respond to this email with a "Please remove my name" in the subject line.

Udney Park Playing Fields “Plan B” • 100 % Local Green Space for the Community: • Owned & operated as a Charity • Open to all 11 v 11 Nature • Maintains play ground original covenanted Cricket 7 v 7 pitch capacity 7 v 7 enjoyed for Club house decades & cafe Cricket 11 v 11 nets

7 v 7 11 v 11

9 v 9 9 v 9

Tennis

*including (not limited to): Bushy Park Girls CC, Hearts FC, Revolution Tennis, Quins the Scouts, Teddington CC, Teddington Athletic FC, Teddington Hockey Club, TRFC

Help us make it happen!! Winter and summer layout is different to maximise community use:

 8 pitches in winter, various sizes; 3 adult / 5 junior

 3 cricket wickets in summer; 1 adult / 2 junior or 2 adult matches

 Refurbished Edwardian War Memorial Pavilion