Council to hold urgent meeting with Berry Hill Park trustees over concerns for its future

The news comes as the leader of a youth football team revealed it has been given just three weeks notice to quit after the trustees of Berry Hill park told them it was set to close.

A spokesman for the trustees told your Chad a Trustees meeting will be held on Wednesday after which a statement would be released on the park’s future.

However this week Paul Shelton manager of Mansfield Boys FC who play in the North Derbyshire League Division One said he had been told the trustees cannot afford to keep the park open any more and will close it by November 12.

Paul said: “I was told the decision was made after Mansfield District Council refused planning permission for a property development.

”We have been playing on Berry Hill park for the past nine years and we have spent thousands up there.

“There is a running club down there and a cafe, people walk their dogs. There must be 60 or 70 youngsters who are affected by this.

“It is a massive area.

“We have stuff up there in containers we have to get rid of in two weeks. We cut the grass ourselves.

“We have been told they will barricade it up.”

A spokesman for the trustees said he could not comment on the situation until they had held a meeting on Wednesday (November 7).

Mansfield Mayor Kate Allsop said: “The council is aware of the ongoing challenges at Berry Hill Park and the difficult situation that the Trustees are now in regarding the facility.

“Whilst no decision has been made about the council’s role in the future of the park, we will be discussing options and welcome the Trust approaching the authority for an urgent meeting.

“The council has had early discussions with the Trust and we are now in a position to welcome further conversations over the future of Berry Hill Park.”

Plans to build eight new homes on a section of Berry Hill Park which includes a “well used” visitor’s car park and access were refused by Mansfield District Council on October 22.

The reason for refusal was that the proposal was contrary to the Mansfield District Local Plan, which states planning permission will not be granted for developments which would lead to the loss of major public open space areas and local parks as defined on the proposals map unless they would enhance the facility for recreational use.

The proposed development of an area of Berry Hill park for residential purposes would not provide any enhancement to the recreational use.

The plans submitted to the council by Linby Homes would have seen a new cul-de-sac on a section of the park off Berry Hill Lane, Mansfield, that would included two houses, five bungalows and a dormer bungalow on the land owned by Berry Hill Social Welfare Centre.