brentwood.gov.uk

Dear Mr Aspinall

You have made the welcome request to ask for opinions on the local development plan and associated ideas including views on how to service the need for additional housing. We believe the Officers Meadow close to Shenfield school is one such site being considered and as such we believe that this is, on balance, a sensible suggestion provided the facilities and services in Shenfield are developed to support the additional housing.

We therefore write this e-mail in strong support of your idea (explained to us by Liz Cohen) to expand the Courage Playing fields along the back of the houses on Chelmsford Road giving much needed additional community green space and possible playing fields for sport in conjunction with the increase in residents.

You will probably be aware that we were involved in the lengthy discussions with Shenfield Cricket Club about their need for a practice net. Views on this proposal differed but ours were based on the wish to preserve at least part of the Courage Fields for community use since two thirds are already used for cricket in the summer months. If the playing fields could be extended then we believe the benefits would include:

1. Additional much needed community space.
2. The possibility of providing additional cricket pitches away from local housing which could in turn mean a net could be sighted with floodlights for the cricket club to use away from local housing.
3. Additional football pitches and grounds for other sports.
4. A sports hub and even a pavilion/clubhouse - perhaps somewhere behind the Rose Restaurant - that would balance those in other areas of Brentwood and be an excellent facility for occupiers of any new homes in that area and for Shenfield School to use.

You may know that I have been involved in the past in developing the Brentwood County Ground which is used all year as a base for cricket, tennis, and hockey teams and also the Brentwood Centre which has added and improved sports facilities year by year (I noted with pleasure your additional investment there). Some sort of joint development for cricket, football, and the local schools is surely the best way to make sure expensive assets are fully used.

We believe much of this is in your mind but as we read opposition to this and that each week in the local press I wanted to put on record our support for these ideas within your consultation process.

Regards