Teddington residents are protesting against homes being built on local playing fields
Twickenham MP Munira Wilson is supporting her community in a bid to purchase Udney Park playing fields for local people and sports groups.
A proposal to build 107 extra-care housing units, a GP surgery and sports facilities on the playing fields in Teddington was propsed last year and thrown out by a planning inspector after an appeal inquiry.
In February, owners and developers Quantum told Richmond Council that they intended to sell the site.
But as the fields are an asset of community value (ACV) they can legally only be sold to community groups over the next six months.
Jonathan Dunn, club chairman of Thamesians RFC, has plans to purchase the site as green fields for local clubs to play on in perpetuity.
He is now leading the bid to purchase the fields through a group called Udney Park Community Fields Trust, with support from other local clubs including Hearts of Teddlothian FC, Tennis for Teddington and Teddington RFC.
Local MP Munira Wilson described the fields as a “rare open space within our constituency where community sports teams can train and play”.
She said it is “a great local asset” and pledged her full support to the community bid.
“There is so much potential for the site to be brought back into full use and for the pavilion, which was built in 1922 as a war memorial, to be renovated,” she said.
