Archived News from July 2012
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ROW OVER TRAINING GROUND AT SPIDER PARK
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Mansfield Town's 'illegal' gates row rumbles on
chad.co.uk, Wednesday 18 July 2012 COUNCIL bosses have agreed to try to have gates, which were put up around Forest Road Park marking out a new Mansfield Town FC training ground, opened to the public . http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/mansfield-town-s-illegal-gates-row-rumbles-on-1-4751652 The compromise came at the end of a heated Civic Centre meeting on Saturday, in which nearby residents vented their anger after mayor Tony Egginton said he had come to an unofficial agreement with Stags' owner John Radford allowing the club to temporarily use the area known as Spider Park. Members of the public are being denied access to the quarry site by locked gates placed at the Sandhurst Avenue entrance through the old Mansfield Standard Sand site. Mr Egginton said he met with Mr Radford on 7th June and was given permission by Mansfield and Pleasley Cricket Club chairman Chris Revill to transfer the licence for the pitch to Mansfield Town. Speaking during the meeting, Mr Egginton said: "The intention is they (Mansfield Town ) will only be there until their training facility is available. They are working on it as we speak." He added: "The reason I made this decision is that I am passionate about football and it is important for the town that we have a team in the Football League." Ajman Ali, corporate director at Mansfield District Council, said the council could not open the gates but when Mr Egginton was asked why they could not be opened if they had been erected without a legally binding contract, he told residents he would pursue the question during a meeting on Monday. Mick Spencer, treasurer of Mansfield and Pleasley Cricket Club, said: "We have over 60 junior members, but without the quarry there is nowhere else for them to play now that you have terminated our licence. What assurances are there that we can ever go back on there?" Mr Egginton said that he would raise all of the residents' concerns during a meeting between himself, district council officers and Mansfield Town's legal department due to take place as Chad went to press. ---------------- EARLIER STORY: Mayor is quizzed over park closure chad.co.uk Wednesday 11 July 2012 FURIOUS residents confronted Mansfield's mayor at a hastily-arranged meeting over the closure of a section of Forest Road Park. http://www.chad.co.uk/news/mayor-is-quizzed-over-park-closure-1-4725918 Around 20 people met with Tony Eggington to quiz him about the controversial padlocking of the gates to what is known locally as Spider Park, to allow Mansfield Town Football Club to train. The move has angered many who say there was no prior warning, while questioning Mr Egginton's right to agree to a deal with the football club. Gathering at a room at Mansfield Sands Co Ltd off Sandhurst Road, Mr Egginton told them the park was owned by the council and was not a public space, and was also used, under licence, by Pleasley Cricket Club. But he was then bombarded with questions over his conduct with some claiming he had not consulted Mansfield District Council about the move. One said: “It's an abuse of position- take the fences down and give us access, otherwise you've got a fight on your hands.” The hour-long meeting ended with Mr Eggington agreeing to look into unlocking the gates, and to a further meeting with residents at Mansfield District's Council's Civic Centre on Chesterfield Road this Saturday, 14th July at 10am. Meanwhile, the gates have remained locked. Mr Eggington predicts it would be another six months before Mansfield Town's new training facility at the One Call Stadium would be complete, but said the club had agreed to make good any damage done to the park. ---------------------- |
Latest | July 2012