Residents living near an historic village green in Eaton Bray have cried foul over plans to fence in and floodlight an area for football.
The scheme, promoted by the parish council, is to give the village an all-weather pitch for use by 22 teams and 275 young players who are members of EB Lions.
The Green Belt site would be available to the club for more than ten hours a day (weekdays) and nine hours a day over the weekends and could also be used by Eaton Bray and Edlesborough village schools.
But neighbours living around The Rye are appalled that part of an officially recognised green, which dates back to the Norman Conquest, will be fenced and effectively off limits to the public.
The development sidesteps policies, enshrined in law, that insists a green must be open to the public, by offering its use by the whole community.
Ruth Archer, whose Green Lane home abuts the land, has formed an action group with her neighbours in a bid to keep the green open to everyone.
The Friends of the Green say 70 per cent of the club’s players come from outside the village and will have to be driven to the site with the threat of traffic congestion, a lack of sufficient parking and a real danger of an increase in accidents on a notorious stretch of road.
Ruth Archer said: “We are very angry and feel as though we have been stitched up over this. Our ward councillor, Marion Mustoe, can’t represent us because her grandchildren play for the club and no-one is prepared to listen to our concerns.
“When the public consultation was held a large percentage of the support obviously came from players’ parents with addresses as far away as Sharpenhoe and Luton. They don’t have to live with this.
“The increase in traffic through the village is going to be considerable. We will have light pollution, with floodlights on each night, and there will be a massive impact with noise and legally they shouldn’t be fencing off part of our village green.
“It won’t be open to the public because they will have use of it from first thing in the morning until past nine at night. When are we supposed to use it?”
Central Beds Councillor Nigel Young said: “In view of the considerable public interest and concerns regarding the possible impact of lighting and noise from the use of the sports facility, the application will be considered by the development management committee on November 21.
“This will enable council members to fully consider and weigh up all representations received before arriving at their decision. There will also be a site inspection to enable some members to assess the site first-hand.”
The plan is recommended for permission. The lengthy officers’ report states: “Overall, it is considered that such a development would provide an important sports facility, allowing a growing rural population of children access to sport and would be acceptable in terms of Green Belt policy.”.