A protest was organised by Newark Sports Association to save The Stadium on Sunday.
PROTESTORS turned out en mass to rally against the loss of one of Newark's precious green spaces.
Newark Sports Association, a charity community benefit society that aims to protect sports facilities in Newark, organised a gathering of people outside the gates of The Stadium, Elm Avenue, on Sunday to show support for their campaign to protect Newark’s green spaces.
Newark and Sherwood District Council has put in a planning application to build seven five-bedroom properties and two four-bedroom homes on the site, and it is estimated that around 150 people turned up to the protest to save the green space.
Mr Tony Colton, chairman of the sports association, said: “It was a quiet and really very lovely gathering of people. I used to run the football team and I was surrounded by people who had played there over the years. It was a very pleasant experience to talk about the olden days and what should be done.
"We don't want to be at war with the district council, but the community feel that it would be good to go back to the drawing board and revisit the plans."
District councillor Johno Lee said: "The residents are very passionate about saving this space and they asked me to go along to see what was going on, in an unofficial capacity."
The playing field site, which is also known as The Stadium, was previously used for football and has one full-size football pitch and a pavilion.
Matt Lamb, director of growth and regeneration at the council, said: “The council has planned for the continuing growth of Newark and the need to improve existing open space and provide significant new ones.
“We recognise the right to protest and make views clear. However, the sale of the land at Elm Avenue (which has not been open for use as sports provision for a significant period) for residential development will facilitate and help fund the development of the extensive sporting and recreational facilities being provided at the YMCA Community and Activity Village on Bowbridge Road.
“Furthermore, Sports England, which was a consultee when the Community and Activity Village was considered, said: "There is sufficient additional capacity and facilities on site to conclude that the provision is a suitable and sufficient replacement for the loss of the Elm Avenue Stadium site.”"
The district council has also said that the disposal of the land would lead to enhancements to open spaces elsewhere in Newark, including Newark Sports and Fitness Centre and Newark R&M Cricket Club expansion, as well as 74 hectares of additional open space planned for Middlebeck and a new development, including a country park of between 15 and 20 hectares, on the southern slopes of Beacon Hill.
