2 weeks Ago
Hatfield Broad Oak Parish Council plans to sign a lease of up to 87 years to Hatfield Broad Oak Sports and Community Club, despite 94 per cent of voters objecting in a parish poll conducted by Uttlesford District Council. The parish council is also proposing to fund the deal with £23,000 per year of public money, despite the Broad Oak Open Spaces Trust (BOOST) offering to fundraise and carry out the same work free of charge. BOOST is supported by a group of volunteers, businesses in the area and the farming community.
Vanessa Ambler, chair of BOOST, said: "It makes no sense. Why would anyone assign £23,000 of public money every year for 87 years, to a charity that has no proven record of maintaining this village facility when the residents and local businesses have offered to undertake exactly the same work free of charge?" The campaigners have now accused the parish council of ignoring the results of the parish poll, which was held last month. However the parish council stated that they will take the results of the poll into consideration, and noted that the poll had a participation rate of just 23 per cent.
They also explained that any contract would be for 12 years only, and it is anticipated that it will cost less than £23,000. A parish council spokesperson said: "The parish council is undertaking a process of considering the transfer of the management and maintenance of our village green, generously donated by a local landowner, to a charitable organisation. "One charity is the original one set up by the parish council in 2010 for that very purpose.
The second is a group of residents, known as BOOST, that has also recently expressed an interest. "The parish council has and continues to evaluate the best options for all residents and expects to receive information from the BOOST option shortly. "The parish council has always and continues to stress that it has not made any final decision at this time.
".
