Column: Protect The Rec is our campaign against broken promises

I went from bystander to active participant, determined to hold our locally elected representatives accountable.

At the forefront of this accountability is the Protect the Rec campaign, a community's fight against Ashfield District Council's plans to build on Hardwick Lane Recreation Ground in Sutton.

The promises to “protect our green spaces” and to “protect the things we care about” helped the Ashfield Independents reclaim power. Yet, their actions contradict these pledges.

"Protect the Rec is more than a fight for green space; it's a battle for accountability, transparency, and democratic integrity”, says guest columnist Kerry Thornton.

For nine months, we've fought to save a vital community asset.

Our campaign is not merely about preserving a patch of grass, it's about safeguarding a community's health, happiness, and heritage.

Recreation grounds are not luxuries but necessities – they are essential for physical health, mental well-being, and social cohesion. Hardwick Lane Rec is integral to Sutton and offers a solution to its shortage of football pitches.

The overwhelming response to the public consultation to change the recreation ground to land for houses in summer 2023, with 68 written objections and a 586-signature petition, shows the community's determination to protect its green space —a collective aspiration to protect what belongs to the community.

The Protect the Rec campaign is fighting against plans to build on Hardwick Lane Recreation Ground in Sutton.

But the council's silence is deafening. They've failed to communicate the consultation's outcome and disregarded procedural norms.

Spending £116,054.00-plus on a planning application without an outcome from the public consultation isn't just an oversight, it's a blatant disregard for community sentiment and due process.

I feel their attempt to bypass Sport England in the planning application consultation further exemplifies this.

Local governance should serve and reflect the community's needs. When our local representatives break promises, they erode trust, the foundation of their authority.

Protect the Rec is more than a fight for green space; it's a battle for accountability, transparency, and democratic integrity.

The council's failure to engage with residents over Protect the Rec highlights the growing gap between elected representatives and those they seek to serve.

It's time for Ashfield DC to listen, act, and restore faith in local governance. In a democracy, community voices should not only be heard but heeded.

To find out more on Protect The Rec you can email [email protected]