Luton Borough Council supports residents’ bid to ‘save’ Barnfield College field

CONCERNS over a playing field shut to the public have been backed up by a council motion calling on it to be re-opened.

Liberal Democrat leader councillor David Franks said residents are concerned Barnfield College in New Bedford Road has stopped maintaining its fields and closed access as a pretext for a building programme.

In 2012 the college was forced to withdraw plans to build houses and a care home after members from the Barnfield Development Action Group campaigned against the plan.

The motion, backed by Luton Borough Council, said the authority had a legal right to rent the fields out. It also said they were not being kept in an ‘acceptable condition’.

Cllr Franks said: “It is obvious the college has stopped maintaining the playing fields and this naturally leads to suspicions that management is preparing to argue that since the pitches are not used they might as well be allowed to build on them. The playing fields have been used and enjoyed by generations of local people and are hugely valued, we must keep up the pressure to save them.”

Barnfield said it was ‘committed’ to finding an ‘amicable agreement’ to the issue.

A spokeswoman added: “We have a new board, new chair man and new principal and we are all committed to working with the local community and businesses to provide outstanding programmes of study.”

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