Cotham School prevents football clubs from using Stoke Lodge

Cotham School has stopped hiring the pitches and pavilion at their Stoke Lodge Playing Fields to local football clubs.

Several teams are affected, with some booked to play at Stoke Lodge throughout the current season now needing to find a new home ground.

One manager says that he thinks the school are doing this out of “spite” following a protracted legal battle which eventually resulted in Stoke Lodge being registered a Town & Village Green.

In a letter sent to parents and carers in September, Cotham headteacher Jo Butler said that this decision to register the council-owned playing fields as a Village Green was “unfathomable” and a “crushing disappointment to the school”.

Cotham currently uses the Shine Sports Ground at Golden Hill for their sports provision, with Butler saying they have temporarily stopped using Stoke Lodge for this academic year “with a heavy heart”.

Cotham School sports day at Stoke Lodge playing fields – photo: Justice for Cotham School

In an email seen by Bristol24/7, Cotham School’s lettings manager said that he was “really sorry” but the governing body made the decision to stop the use of the pavilion by local sports teams from October 29.

The pavilion is a council building but is part of Cotham School’s lease of the playing fields and recently received a £600,000 refurbishment – with £430,800 of this paid for by a grant from the Department for Education.

Adult football teams need use of the pavilion so players can shower and change; but under-18 sides do not, meaning that local youth football can continue at Stoke Lodge, with other hirers of the playing fields looking into the possibility of cutting the grass and marking the pitches themselves.

Nathan Baber of Bristol Boys FC said “We are a bit annoyed that we haven’t had any exclusive reason to why it’s closing its doors to allow local teams to play.

“The headteacher has said it’s due to the legal battle that they’re ceasing use.

“We have offered to pay more within reason to cover costs if it’s to do with the utility bills which one of the emails said about.

“We are local people enjoying playing up there with the local community coming to watch and support us. Now we’ve got to move away from that and try find another pitch midway through the football season.”

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Baber added: “We have had to move fixtures around to try get home games in whilst the pitch was still available to us.

“We now have no pitch to play on so each week will have to hire a pitch that is available, trying places in the local area as that’s the whole point of playing for your local grassroots football team…

“Are they doing this out of spite cause of the legal battle as they are effecting local people playing sports if so…

“It’s important for everyone for us to be playing football up there and what a waste of land and pavilion it will be. If it’s no longer being used, it’s going to waste.”

In a recent blog post, We Love Stoke Lodge wrote: “As a community, we have fought for village green registration to preserve access to Stoke Lodge for the school, for sports clubs and for local residents.

“We are 100% committed to seeing club sport on Stoke Lodge and if Cotham School is considering placing obstacles in the way of those clubs to restrict or prevent their use, we hope it will reconsider.

“Perhaps the school has misunderstood the legal position and will think again – we hope so. This should be a wonderful space for all to use – just as it always has been.”

Despite multiple requests, Cotham School has yet to respond to questions.

Main photo: We Love Stoke Lodge

Read next:

• School must share playing field with community after decades-long row
• Petition to remove ‘illegal’ fence on much-loved green
• Covert CCTV at school playing fields deemed unlawful

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