The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Hopes for a new £50,000 sports pavilion lie in tatters after councillors seized back control of the village playing field.
As reported in the Spalding Voice on June 11, Cowbit Playing Field Committee had launched a crowdfunding appeal to attract the money needed to extend and overhaul the pavilion.
It was hoped the pavilion would then meet FA requirements for the benefit of a newly-formed football team in the village.
But Jonathan Matthews, chairman of the committee – set up in 2011 to carry out some of the routine work involved in running the field and raising money to fund improvements – received a letter just two days later saying the playing field had been taken back under direct parish council control.
In it, Mr Matthews is asked to contact the parish council chairman to discuss the handover of responsibility and the playing field committee accounts.
In a statement, Peter Simpson, vice chairman of the parish council, said the decision to seize back control had been taken in May after the chairman had become aware of the committee’s plans during a conversation with Mr Matthews.
He said: “This was the first we had heard of this, none of it had been discussed with or agreed by the parish council, so we asked the chairman to attend the annual parish meeting on May 19 so we could discuss the plans.
“He did not turn up or send either apologies or representative. Accordingly, the parish council voted – unanimously – to take the playing field back under direct control.”
Mr Simpson said the parish council’s concerns included whether a pavilion would be of most benefit to the community of Cowbit.
He said: “The parish council was concerned that quite apart from requiring a massive fund-raising effort from a small community, a £50,000 football pavilion is neither the best use of that money, nor the most appropriate way of developing our field for the whole village.
“We are, of course, keen to encourage and support the newly formed village football team, but improved field facilities requiring a large investment, need to benefit all village residents, not just those who play football.”
Mr Matthews said he had not received an invitation to attend the parish council meeting in May and conceded that communication between the two groups had been a “little strained” over the past two years owing to a number of the committee members being involved in a campaign to save Ye Olde Dun Cow.
He said: “This led to a difference of opinion with parish councillors, however, we believed these differences had been put behind us and we could now all work together for the benefit of the community.
“The parish council’s latest statements would appear to suggest that this belief was not reciprocated.
“The ex-Playing Field Committee would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the years and we apologise to Cowbit village that we have been unable to deliver substantial upgrades to Cowbit Playing Field in the time we have had.”
The full statements from the playing field committee and parish council are below:
Statement by Cowbit Parish Council regarding changes to playing field management.
Cowbit Playing Field was ‘gifted’ to the community many years ago, with the Parish Council appointed as its custodians.
The gift was conditional; it must remain a playing field, and cannot be sold or otherwise disposed of.
Additionally, any building work – such as a new pavilion – has to be agreed by the donor’s descendants. The PC pay all running costs including grass cutting, electricity/water for the pavilion plus insurance and maintenance/repair/renewals to the play equipment.
The current Playing Field Committee (PFC) was formed in 2011, partly to carry out some of the routine work involved in running the field, but mainly to raise money to fund improvements. At first some progress was made but by 2014 the PC were concerned that very little seemed to be happening towards meeting these objectives, especially with regard to the children’s facilities.
The PC also found meaningful communication with the PFC increasingly difficult. Indeed apart from Mr Matthews (chairman) we don’t even know who the PFC members were in 2015 or even if by 2015 it still had the four active members needed to form a quorum.
One former PFC member has, however, told us that they are no longer involved. At the PC meeting on December 8 2014, the PFC chairman complained that the PFC did not get the same level of support from the PC as the Village Hall Committee, and asked first that the PFC and VHC merge, and then that parish councillors become more involved in PFC matters.
The PC responded that they would like to become more involved but to do this we needed to know when the PFC met.
The PFC committee chairman agreed to circulate meeting dates, but until the statement issued by the PFC on Tuesday June 16, we weren’t made aware of any meeting – or for that matter any ‘decision’ to meet only at six-monthly intervals. The merger proposal was rejected by the hall committee.
On March 8, the PFC gave notice that, due to ‘changed personal circumstances’ they would no longer be raising/lowering the Playing Field entrance bollard daily. This bollard had been installed by the PC at the PFC’s request. By the end this duty appeared to have become one person’s job, and when that person was unable to continue no-one else was available or willing to take over. At the end of April, the PC chairman asked the PFC chairman for loan of the pavilion keys as he wanted to make a copy and also show the pavilion to an outside party who was considering financing some improvements.
In response to this the PFC chairman announced that the PFC was about to embark on its own programme to build a new pavilion, were drawing up plans, would be seeking lottery funding, and would “show their plans to the Parish Council and the community” when ready.
This was the first we had heard of this; none of it had been discussed with or agreed by the PC, and no further details were offered or given. Consequently, the PFC chairman was asked to attend the annual parish meeting on May 19, with ‘pavilion’ being added to the agenda so we could discuss the plans.
He did not turn up or send either apologies or a representative. Accordingly, the PC voted – unanimously – to take the playing field back under direct control. The clerk wrote to the PFC chairman on June 3 to advise him of this.
There was still no response, so following the next PC meeting the clerk wrote again on June 13, this time by recorded delivery so there could be no doubt that the letter had been received. Further details have now emerged of the PFC’s plans – though there has still been no discussion of any kind with the PC; we know only what we have seen on social media and in the press.
It seems the PFC was planning to raise over £50,000 for a new football pavilion. The PFC had also offered, entirely off its own bat and with no Parish Council consultation whatsoever, a number of incentives involving ‘for ever’ commitments, including ‘naming’ the new pavilion after the first person to donate more than £15,000!
The Parish Council was concerned that quite apart from requiring a massive fund-raising effort from a small community, a £50,000 football pavilion is neither the best use of that money, nor the most appropriate way of developing our field for the whole village. We are of course keen to encourage and support the newly formed village football team, but improved field facilities requiring a large investment, need to benefit all village residents, not just those who play football. Peter Simpson Vice Chair and Press Officer Cowbit Parish Council.
Playing Field Committee statement:
Having reviewed the content of the Parish Council statement we believe it speaks volumes about the make up of the Parish Council, that they deem it necessary to personalise their statements and denigrate the hard work of the past and present members of the community that have formed the Playing Field Committee, who have over the last four years volunteered their services for the benefit of the community. The fact that the PC see it necessary to release such inaccurate and derogatory statements without speaking face to face with those involved reveals their attitude to community collaboration.
To put a few matters straight:
The first and only letter the Playing Field Committee received from the Parish Council was on the 14th June 2015. This letter informed us that they had voted to take back the management of the Cowbit Playing Field. This was the first we knew about the Parish Council’s intentions. We received no letter dated 3rd June 2015 (until it was enclosed in with the letter dated 14 June) and we received no invite to attend a meeting on May 19th 2015.
In fact at most Parish Council meetings there has been one member of the Playing Field Committee in attendance, so we were very easily contactable. Had we been invited to a particular meeting then we would have attended.
In February 2015, the Playing Field Committee held a private meeting to discuss the future of the committee. It was decided that due to the increasing commitments of the PFC members, we should discuss the option of bring the Playing Field and Village Hall management under one committee. The Village Hall Committee declined the proposition and the Parish Council were made aware of this.
At this point the Playing Field Committee decided that they would focus on further major fundraising to help redevelop both the Pavilion and the playing field equipment. Due to this change in emphasis we also decided to move our committee meetings to 6 monthly meetings with the next meeting arranged for 14th July 2015. It was our intention that once we had some firm plans in place we would present these ideas to the Cowbit Parish Council and the Cowbit villagers. Unfortunately recent events have clearly now curtailed this work.
The Cowbit Playing Field Committee had 6 members when the Parish Council took back the management of the Playing Field.
We concede that communications between certain members of the Parish Council and the Playing Field Committee had become a little strained over the past 2 years, owing to a number of the Playing Field Committee members having been involved in the a Campaign to save our local pub, Ye Olde Dun Cow, which ended in 2014. This lead to a difference of opinion with the Parish Councillors, however, we believed that these differences had been put behind us and we could now all now work together for the benefit of the community. The Parish Councils latest statements would appear to suggest that this belief was not reciprocated.
The ex-Playing Field Committee would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the years and we apologise to Cowbit Village that we have been unable to deliver substantial upgrades to Cowbit Playing Field in the time we have had. Even though the Parish Councillors have chosen to air their grievances in public and criticise the hard work of the Playing Field Committee in this way, we hope that the Parish Council can take forward those things that we have put in place and finish off the good work started to deliver better facilities for the community.
