City of Stoke Lacrosse, based in Staffordshire and Derbyshire, has joined a campaign to save its home ground and summer training facility at Sudbury Sports-field.
A petition has been set-up in a bid to overturn a decision to close the field to recreational sporting activity and replace it with a grass meadow.
Owned by the National Trust, Sudbury Sports-field is located in the grounds of the 443-year-old Sudbury Hall and has played host to sports for more than 50 years, starting with cricket before expanding to include football and lacrosse in more recent years.
With no similar facility in the village of Sudbury, the loss of the sports-field will leave the clubs that use it looking outside their local area for a place to play the sports they love.
It is estimated that Sudbury Sports-field adds almost £10,000 to the local economy every year which is no small number for a village with a permanent population of just 976.
The petition, set up by Assistant Manager of Sudbury Football Club, Jonathan Mellor, is asking for the National Trust to “preserve Sudbury Sports-field for current and future generations” and in a longer statement he writes:
“The field is part of the history of the area and many people, both young and old, have at some point reaped the benefits of the ability to use the area for sport, and it has been part of their heritage growing up.
“This change would not only rob us of our beloved field but also deprive our children of the opportunity to engage in outdoor activities that promote physical health and social interaction.
“We urge the National Trust to reconsider their decision. Let's preserve Sudbury Sportsfield for current generations who love it dearly and future generations who deserve the chance to enjoy it too.”
City of Stoke Lacrosse, who has been using the Sudbury Sports-field since 2021, has five teams who use the facility and would be left without a home ground if the decision is upheld.
A City of Stoke spokesperson told England Lacrosse:
“The loss of not only our home ground, but another Midlands lacrosse venue, really impacts not only our club but local lacrosse as a whole.
“For our club, it means that we will be unable to host any summer training (a key time to recruit returning university students and graduates) and friendlies and it will potentially have an impact on next year’s lacrosse season.
“If we are unable to reverse the decision on this land, we will be searching for somewhere new that we can call the home of City of Stoke Lacrosse, putting considerable pressure on the ever-shrinking set of local outdoor pitches within our catchment area, most of which are already booked up for various rugby/football weekend leagues.”
A spokesperson for the National Trust told England Lacrosse:
“The land situated in front of The Children’s Country House at Sudbury is historical parkland that is part of the estate but has been leased to the Parish Council.
“The Parish Council has requested to bring this lease, due to expire in 2026, to an end in May 2024, which with an understanding of their circumstances, we have agreed to.
“Although the National Trust will not be able to continue running the land as a space for hire on a commercial basis, the local community will continue to be able to enjoy it free of charge for family leisure time, games and activities such as picnicking, dog walking and village celebrations.
“We are also looking at plans to restore the land back to a grade II listed landscape, which will include grassland and the planting of new trees, that will blend the area with the surrounding historic parkland.”
A statement on the Sudbury Parish Council website reads:
“It was after much careful consideration that Sudbury Parish Council has made the decision to end the lease for the playing field with effect from May 2024, and appreciate this is disappointing for the men’s football team currently using the field.
“It should be made clear that parishioners and visitors will still have the same and continued use and access to the field once our lease ends, but there will no longer be a football pitch.
“The Parish Council can assure everyone that had this not been the case we would have challenged the National Trust in the strongest terms to ensure parishioners usage was maintained.
“The land is owned by the National Trust who determine what the land can be used for and have confirmed to us that their plans will still allow access for residents as now.
“The current lease was due to end in September 2026 and it was made clear at in our discussions with the NT in October that the lease would not be extended.
“The decision for the Parish Council was whether to let the lease run to termination September 2026 (with the associated costs) or terminate at the end of 2023/ 24 football season allowing the Football Club to fulfil this seasons fixtures and find a new venue for next season.
“This matter has been given considerable thought and the Football Club were kept informed of discussions throughout the process.
“It should be noted that no Sudbury residents play for the men’s football team who use the field, and whilst we recognise the value of grass roots sport, this was one consideration the Parish Council had to take into account.
“As a Parish Council we are tasked with making decisions, with our priority being to the residents of the village we serve.
“We allocate monies on behalf of the residents who contribute their money towards the upkeep of the village via their council tax and it is worth stating that some residents would rather the monies be spent in a broader range of areas across the village, rather than on the football pitch.
“As no parishioners would be directly affected by the proposed changes we feel the precept could be better spent in other areas of the village that benefit all parishioners.
“We have made our decision after two Parish Council meetings listening to concerns from members of public, including one at which we invited the National Trust so that the football club could speak to them directly.
“Lastly we wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the Football Club who we understand have already found a new home for next season.”
To sign the petition, click the button below.