Key facts
- Lower Field, a 1.5-hectare plot, is slated for sale by King Edward VI Community College.
- The land is used by the Totnes community for recreation and unstructured play.
- Campaigners are seeking to raise funds for a community purchase.
- The school needs funds for significant refurbishment and modernization of its buildings.
- The land is expected to be marketed in January.
Residents in Totnes, Devon, are protesting the planned sale of Lower Field, a 1.5-hectare plot used by the community for recreation, by the King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC). The school has received government approval to sell the land, likely for housing development, to fund much-needed building renovations.
Campaigners, including the Friends of Lower Field group, argue that the sale represents the loss of vital public green space. They are investigating the terms of the original land gift from the Elmhirst family, which donated the land about a century ago, to see if it can be protected for community use. They are asking for a window to raise funds to purchase the field themselves.
The land is expected to be put on the market in January. Matthew Shanks, chief executive of Education South West, stated that the trust is open to constructive conversations with the community about a potential purchase. He emphasized the need for funds to refurbish the school's aging facilities, noting that the school would retain other playing fields available for public use.