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Campaigners celebrate u-turn on playing field sale

Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Reporting fromDaventry
Martin Heath/BBC Two men and two women standing in a green field lined by trees. The men are wearing dark anoraks, while one woman has a red anorak and the other is wearing yellow. They are holding plastic champagne glasses.Martin Heath/BBC
Campaigners raise a glass to celebrate saving the field

Campaigners are celebrating news that a plan to sell off a popular open space for housing has been scrapped.

West Northamptonshire Council has said the proposal to fund town centre improvements by selling the Eastern Way playing field will not be included in the latest Daventry Masterplan.

The authority said the change of heart was in response to "valuable feedback from residents".

One of the founders of a campaign to save the field said she was "absolutely delighted" by the decision.

The playing field was once attached to Daventry's Grammar School but is now used for events like the weekly parkrun and touring circuses.

It is also popular with dog walkers, exercise lovers and people who just want some fresh air.

Martin Heath/BBC About 30 people standing in a semicircle of various ages. Many are wearing anoraks. There are four dogs within the group. They are standing in a grass field with trees behind them.Martin Heath/BBC
Some local residents gathered on the playing field to celebrate the council u-turn

When the latest Daventry Masterplan was made public last year, two women who lived nearby were so horrified by plans to sell the field off to fund town centre improvements that they started a campaign to save it.

More than 2,000 people signed a petition and more than 1,000 attended a rally on the field in September.

Dan Lister, the Conservative-controlled council's cabinet member for local economy, culture and leisure, said: "Having listened to the feedback we've received from Daventry residents, Eastern Way is a cherished recreational space and residents do not want to see new housing on the site.

"We will explore other ways to help secure the investment needed."

Martin Heath/BBC Judith Morris with short dark hair and glasses wearing a blue raincoat with red straps, and Liz Scott with short white hair and glasses, wearing a green coat and black top. They are standing in a grass field with trees behind. A small group of people is also visible to the left.Martin Heath/BBC
Judith Morris (left) and Liz Scott set up the campaign to save the field

Liz Scott, one of the founders of the campaign, said she was "absolutely delighted."

She added: "We're just so grateful to everyone who's helped us."

The campaign's co-founder, Judith Morris, said: "Our supporters have been very vocal - they all emailed their councillors, wrote to their MP, signed the petition, and that's ultimately what's made an impact."

Martin Heath/BBC Wendy Randall with medium-length light brown hair and glasses, wearing a light-coloured sweater and standing in a grass field with trees behind. A woman is visible in the background waving her arms as she walks a dog.Martin Heath/BBC
Labour's Wendy Randall welcomed the decision but said no promise has been made to protect the field forever

Wendy Randall, who lives in Daventry and is the Labour opposition leader on the council, joined a celebration on the field over the weekend but felt residents needed to remain vigilant.

She said: "It's definitely the right decision, but they haven't said they won't ever do anything on it.

"Daventry people do not forget."

Ms Scott added: "We can't rest on our laurels.

"We've saved the field for now, we'd really like to save it permanently."

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