Arguments over Herringthorpe Playing Fields should be based on facts

J. Morgan (Advertiser, December 14) starts his letter by offering to share some key facts about the proposed rugby pitches on Herringthorpe Playing Fields.

Unfortunately, what then follows contains precious few facts and a great deal of misinformation. As the writer correctly states, the planning inspector didn’t find in favour of the lease of land to Rotherham Rugby Club Ltd, nor did he find in favour of the fencing.

This is quite simply because neither of these items are planning issues. The lease is a matter for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council as the owners of the playing fields and was approved in principle by the council cabinet on 19th October 2011.

The club does indeed operate a policy of non-discrimination and has an equity policy in line with the requirements of the RFU and Sport England.

The club holds RFU Accredited Club Status and Sport England Clubmark accreditation. Our teams include young players from diverse backgrounds and cultures and from some of the most deprived areas of Rotherham to the most affluent.

Once someone joins the club all such differences become irrelevant. Sport in general, and rugby union in particular, is a great way of bringing people together and of creating cohesion out of diversity — One Town, One Community in action.

J. Morgan then claims that the development discriminates against other users of the fields. There will be no disadvantage to other sports as the existing pitches will be relocated elsewhere on the playing fields. The proposed rugby pitches cover a small percentage of the available area of the fields — seven acres out of 63 acres. There will be plenty of space left for informal recreation such as kite flying or messing around.

However, fence or no fence, rugby pitches are primarily intended for playing rugby and not for dog walking — surely no-one is suggesting that this should not be the case.

The statement that ‘it's no secret that the venture is equally for the benefit of the affiliated Rotherham Titans’ cannot go unchallenged. Rotherham Rugby Club Ltd and its playing section, Rotherham Phoenix RUFC, are not ,affiliated, in any way with Rotherham Titans.

The board of directors of Rotherham Rugby Club Ltd have a legal duty to act in good faith in the best interests of the company and its members and in accordance with the company's Memorandum & Articles of Association. I and the other directors take our duties and responsibilities very seriously. To suggest that we are "’stooges’ for the Titans is not only untrue - it is also deeply insulting.

The claim that ‘the proposed Herringthorpe lease provides the Titans with an expansion opportunity with the right to unlimited access to a site over three times the size of their current ground’ is also incorrect. Ignoring the dubious mathematics, the lease will not provide the Titans with an expansion opportunity. Firstly, the proposed site is just big enough for the three rugby pitches, and secondly the lease will be held by the amateur club. It would not be in the interest of the amateur club to allow the Titans to take over, or have unlimited access to the site. Such a move would also be contrary to the terms of the lease agreement.

There are traffic and parking problems around Clifton Lane Sports Ground on Titans’ match days. These will not be made any worse by the proposed facilities on the playing fields. Rotherham Phoenix RUFC senior teams already play their home games on the playing fields on Saturday afternoons. The colts and junior teams play on Sunday mornings - these activities would result in a fraction of the traffic associated with Titans matches. The same applies to midweek training in the evenings.

Opponents of the development have repeatedly tried to discredit it by linking it to the Titans, despite there being no truth whatsoever in this claim. If they wish to argue their case all well and good —but can they please do so on the basis of facts, not rumours and fabrications.

Bob Finch Secretary - Rotherham Rugby Club Ltd Junior Section Chair - Rotherham Phoenix RUFC

Playing fields are precious to us all: J Morgan's original letter.