An exercise in democracy

RE: HERRINGTHORPE Playing Fields — Decision Imminent.

Mr Bloor, who wrote to the Advertiser last week about the need for sporting facilities free from dog mess and discarded bottles, is absolutely right. Yet fencing off the field doesn’t solve the problem, it simply concentrates the mess for the rest of the sports players outside the fence. In fact, you don’t need to play sport to expect a safe environment, the fields should be maintained for everyone whatever their age or chosen pastime.

Herringthorpe Playing Fields Community Group have already written to the council to press for an intensified period of patrolling so these irresponsible and selfish people can be fined and held to account. Mark O’Neill has also recently expressed his exasperation over lies and untruths. His exasperation is shared by the Community Group who have gone to great lengths to ensure that the information they have disseminated is accurate and reflects the content of the rugby club’s planning statements and associated RMBC reports. None of the group have encountered the rumour regarding a 12,000 seat rugby stadium, it’s nonsense, but to insinuate that we have promoted this untruth is frankly misch- ievous and is viewed as an attempt to undermine many of the legitimate objections raised in good faith by Rotherham folk.

It’s important to read the relevant documents before quoting information. For example, the proposed fence is two meters, not 1.4 as Mr O’Neill says. Full details are openly available for everyone to see on the RMBC planning site (Ref: RB2012/0002). An open public meeting was held at the Town Hall at the outset of the rugby club lease consultation.

The rugby club was fully represented, but unfortunately their information leaflet delivered to residents the night before that meeting “forgot” to mention this rather critical forum for debate. Prior to the actual planning meeting, an open evening was held at the rugby club.

This too wasn’t widely advertised and very poorly attended. The club’s “targeted” consultation with existing users was so successful that when approached, the vast majority of existing football teams didn’t have a clue about the proposed development. More recently, the rugby club approached a local councillor to contact the Community Group on their behalf in order to set up a meeting.

Our contact details were there, but the rugby club hasn’t pursued this. We have contacted the council regarding further consultation as promised, and are advised that the official consultation period closed on 22/3/13 and a final report is currently in draft. This will make a recommendation on the facts and evidence provided by all parties and will be presented to councillors within the next 10 days for a final decision.

It would seem that the call for further debate at the final hour has come a little too late and that they have fudged the many opportunities for real active engagement throughout the whole planning process, which has been ongoing for two years. What else is there to debate? There are no new facts, we all know the issues. All that remains at this late stage is for councillors to sift fact from fiction and consider all views judiciously and equally in making a final decision. It’s called democracy.

J Morgan, Herringthorpe Playing Fields Community Group