Southend Council pledges help to protect Ekco sports club (From Echo)

Southend Council pledges help to protect Ekco sports club

9:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Southend By Stephen Hackwell

CAMPAIGNERS battling to save one of Southend’s oldest sports clubs have been given a boost by council chiefs.

Southend Council has revealed it would be difficult for developers to get planning permission to build on the playing fields of the Ekco Sports and Social Club, off Thornford Gardens.

The land has been put up for sale by owner Aviva Investors, amid speculation it could be used for a new business park or housing estate.

But Andrew Meddle, the council’s head of planning and transport, said the authority was opposed in principle to the loss of playing fields.

He said: “Public open space is protected by the council’s planning policies, and playing fields specifically are protected by separate planning rules.

“That would make it difficult, although not impossible, to change it to another use.”

The Aviva site, which incorporates the Ekco club, its fields and the neighbouring Prittlebrook industrial estate, is one of the largest to come onto the market in Southend.

Its prime location, sandwiched between Southend Airport, the A127 and the town centre, means it could be suitable for both businesses and new homes.

But members of the sports club, which has been based on the site since 1930, said they would be devastated if their fields disappeared.

The club is home to regular cricket and football teams, including the Ekco Whitecaps, which has six junior teams, as well as men’s and women’s adult sides.

Officials believe the clubhouse itself is protected by a 60-year lease – a claim which has been confirmed by Aviva – but the fields are only rented on a 12-month contract.

However, any developer which wanted to build on the site would have to secure planning permission from the council first.

Mr Meddle said the authority’s policies had led potential developers to agree to keep the fields when previous plans were pitched for the land in 2008.

A spokesman for Aviva’s estate agents, Kemsley, said the same points would be made clear to any developer who wanted to buy the site.