The main speaker in favour of the Sports Zone was Councillor Tim Caroll leader of SSDC. The main speaker against the scheme was Ashey Strelling of “Save Mudford Recreation ground” (SMR). Ashley’s presentation was supported by Jacky Martin and Viv Cornelius.

Ashley’s team circulated handouts to all present and Viv Cornelius talked about some of the historical background to the site. She said that the site was given under covenant that it only be used for playing fields.

Jacky Martin claimed that the Sports zone would be partly financed by selling off other assets; that there are other locations for it, part of Agusta/Westland airfield or land by Yeovil Town Football Club; could it be part of the development framework?

There were two appraisals of the site. The first was in July 2007 and the consultation period was to close 24th August 2007. The report concluded that the proposal was not suitable to the site. A scaled down proposal was made and second appraisal made. The second report accepted that it could be built on the site but it was “not ideal”. A number of people felt they had not been properly consulted and children were targeted with a survey aimed at adults.

Yeovil College seem to be the main beneficiary and land around the College was sold off for executive housing.

SMR collected over 5,000 signatures opposing the sports zone being built on Mudford Recreation ground.

How will it be financed and why has other sites been discounted (e.g. the showground)? It is likely that other green spaces will have to be sold to pay for it (e.g. at Turners Barn and Yew Tree).

SSDC Council leader Councillor Tim Martin replied to the points raised.

The council did an audit in 2006 as part of the 20year development plan for the Town, and their research has it that the greatest deficiency of sports facilities occurred in Yeovil. The 20 year plan envisages an increase of the Town’s population of the current 44K to about 77K. The council also want to take account of “Olympic legacy funding”.

As for discounting the other site, planning regulations (PPS6) say they have to prove why they cannot use sites in Yeovil before they consider the wider area. AgustaWestland will not sell part of the airfield having already sold all spare land for development.

No decision has yet been made; the whole plot will not be concreted over. The existing football pitches will be retained and only 23% of the land will be built on. Late summer will see the results of the full survey.

There are similar projects under way in Taunton, Bristol and Plymouth. If it went ahead, completion would be sometime in 2012.

Points and questions

These came mainly from objectors to the proposal focussed mainly on the loss of a substantive piece of open space and traffic congestion and related problems. There would be a car park of 400 spaces.

Asked if the revised plan was purely to justify building on Mudford Rec Councillor Carroll said that the revised plans allow outdoor facilities to be dispersed around the area. The Councillor also assured us that Yeovil College would not have preferential treatment when it comes to use of the site.

That a big opportunity was lost at the time of the decision to build the current Golden Stones fitness centre; that it was too small, and went way over budget – is a similar mistake to be repeated? What was a green site before Goldenstones will now be sold for general development, will the same happen at Mudford Rec? .Councillor Carroll replied that ‘wet’ facilities’ (i.e. swimming pools) never make money; Goldenstones is heavily subsidised and other ‘dry’ facilities help reduce the subsidy.

Traffic congestion on Mudford Road could be a showstopper. Traffic is bad throughout Yeovil but Councillor Carroll said that Reckleford and Babylon Hill and “Bermuda triangle” is to be sorted when the Reckleford gyratory is straightened.

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