Totnes residents stage play protests against proposed sale of school field
Families are gathering on Lower Field as the school trust plans to sell it to fund improvements at King Edward VI Community College.
Totnes residents are holding play protests at Lower Field beside the River Dart in Devon to oppose the proposed sale of the 1.5-hectare school site, The Guardian reported on 17 October. Campaigners say the field has long served the wider community; the trust running King Edward VI Community College says a sale would fund improvements at the school.
The Guardian reported that residents have gathered on Saturdays throughout autumn to play ballgames, fly kites and spend time on the grass. Friends of Lower Field is campaigning to keep the open space available to local people. Its members are also examining the terms under which the field was historically given to the school and whether those terms offer protection.
Why King Edward VI Community College plans to sell Lower Field
On its land-sale page, King Edward VI Community College says its trust, Education South West, is moving forward with the sale after Department for Education approval. The school says the department approved disposal because the estate was built for substantially more pupils than the roughly 950 now enrolled. It says proceeds from a future sale will be reinvested in the college.
The school says a condition of the disposal requires it to seek maximum value for the land. Any future development would be proposed by a purchaser and subject to planning processes. It also says existing sports provision, including the all-weather pitch, will be retained; the pitch will remain available for shared community use under an agreement with South Hams District Council.
Education South West chief executive Matthew Shanks said the trust understood the site's importance to Totnes and wanted an open conversation with residents, The Guardian reported. He said proceeds would support refurbishment and modernisation across the school estate. Principal Alan Salt said the school and trust had organised an open meeting. He argued that a sale made financial sense after limited capital investment, pointing to temporary classrooms more than 50 years old.
Campaigners seek time for a community purchase
Campaigners want the trust to consider a community purchase. The Guardian reported that Friends of Lower Field member Anna Ali said public green spaces matter in Totnes, where poverty can be less visible than the town's affluent reputation suggests. Campaigner Winks said a realistic window to raise money could preserve the field while helping pay for school improvements.
The Guardian reported that the land was expected to go on the market in January. The year of that expected date was not specified. Campaigners say proposed community empowerment measures are unlikely to take effect in time to help their effort to buy the field.
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Sources and context
- ‘We’re not playing games’: Parents launch playground protests to fight school field sell-offThe Guardian
- Land SaleKing Edward VI Community College
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.