Sheffield park campaigners oppose tennis plan as privatisation – council denies claims

The Friends of Graves Park (FOGP) have voiced concerns over the 25-year plan for the tennis courts in nine Sheffield parks, as well as creating a controversial multi-activity hub in Hillsborough Park, which has been opposed by the Friends of Hillsborough Park. FOGP said the deal “privatises all this parkland for 25 years, parkland that was given to the citizens of Sheffield, supposedly in perpetuity”.

The chair of the council’s parks committee said they are not selling off those areas and said the city parks and buildings in them belong to the people of Sheffield. He said the leasing plan extends a partnership between the council, the Lawn Tennis Association and Courtside Community Interest Company that has delivered improved tennis facilities.

FOGP group chair Caroline Dewar said: “One of these parks is Graves Park. And 25 years is very significant to the Friends of Graves Park, because 25 years ago the local people stopped Sheffield City Council (SCC) selling off the Norton Nurseries site for a housing estate.

“It was a hard, unpleasant battle, during which SCC officers denied that this was part of Graves Park at all, denied that it was charitable land and argued for its disposal, particularly as they claimed it was ‘derelict and surplus to requirements’.

“When the battle was won by the citizens, when the Charity Commission finally accepted that it was charitable parkland and when the council finally agreed that it had to be returned to parkland, the local people, who called themselves the Hands off Graves Park group, thought the battle was won.

Dismayed

“SCC asked to work together with the group and suggested that they form a Friends group, to work together with the council for the benefit of Graves Park. A plan and a way forward was agreed and the Friends started planning the restoration of the despoiled land.

“How wrong we were. When the council said it could take up to 15 years to restore the site, we were somewhat dismayed.

"If we had known that we would still be fighting to restore all the land 25 years later, that the council would have tried to sell it off again in 2009 (despite the first restored section, Chantreyland Meadow, having been restored by FOGP and opened to the public in 2006) and then when that failed, from about 2015 start using it as a council depot and collection site for rubbish and dog excrement from parks and open spaces across the city (despite the second section of FOGP’s restoration, Chantreyland Arboretum, opening in 2016), well, perhaps we would have been more wary of accepting council promises at face value.

“We are certainly more wary now. When we were informed by the parks manager that the tennis courts in Graves Park were to be disposed of on a 25-year lease, we were extremely worried, especially when council officers started using words like “we can assure you” and “although it is a disposal it isn’t really a disposal”. The Friends of Graves Park have been here before.

“If this goes through, the tennis courts will belong to a private company, at least for 25 years. That will strengthen the argument for disposing of yet more parkland, some charitable, for other excuses and other expediencies.

“In 25 years people may well have forgotten what happened and if they haven’t, the council will say “this was over 20 years ago and no longer applies”, which is what they have said about the agreement to restore the old Norton Nurseries site back to parkland.”

She added: “Waiting on the sidelines is the restoration of the Rose Garden Cafe (suddenly closed in July 2022 with no warning as deemed unsafe, surrounded by scaffolding and reopened as a takeaway only in December 2022), which the council claim they are working hard to resolve, which they stated that they were willing to work with the Friends of Graves Park on looking at funding, but for which they have other plans.

‘Fiasco’

“Why go to the trouble of applying to the government or other external funders when they can do a deal with a private company, sell it off to a private company (it’s not really a disposal because it will still be there and the private funder will put in the money for its restoration) and get the private funder to put in capital funding?

“Is this what the plan was from the day they surveyed the building back in June 2022? Probably.

“The recent investigation into the Sheffield tree felling fiasco and the resulting Lowcock Report found that Sheffield City Council were prepared to mislead the public, the authorities and those given the task of investigating the mess.

“They are happy to use untruth when it helps them to get away with not acting in the public interest. Sadly, that is the experience of the Friends of Graves Park and sadly, little appears to have changed, despite expensive apologies and promises to be more open, honest and to work with the public.

“Citizens of Sheffield, these things were given to you in perpetuity. Whether it’s designated parkland, or tennis courts, or buildings in the parks, they all used to belong to you. And they are being sold off, with a promise of capital funding and privatisation which will make these things better for the citizens.

“Sound familiar? (Transport, power, water). Be careful what you support, citizens of Sheffield and if you don’t agree, make sure you object. While you still can. 25 years is a long time.”

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Coun Richard Williams, chair of the communities, parks and leisure committee, responded: “We want to be clear with our residents that we are not selling off park land – our parks and the buildings in them belong to the people of Sheffield. Our plan for the future is to find ways to provide and maintain the best parks and facilities for the long term.

“The tennis court area in Graves Park and all of our parks will remain in the ownership of the council and continue to be available for the public to enjoy.

“We launched our parks tennis programme in 2017 in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Courtside Community Interest Company (CIC) who operate the council’s tennis courts at Bingham Park, Concord Park, Graves Park, High Hazels, Hillsborough Park, Millhouses Park, and Weston Park. These arrangements are now coming to an end.

“We have carried out a public tender exercise to seek a new operator for the tennis courts and will also enter into a renewed partnership with the LTA. This will include additional funding from Sport England to refurbish tennis courts at Ecclesfield and Hollinsend Parks, which will be brought into the parks tennis programme, alongside the seven existing courts.

“This programme has already delivered significant investment and improvements to the city’s tennis offer, the revival of park tennis and improved access to tennis in communities.

"Thanks to this work, Sheffield’s tennis offer now consists of high-quality courts, community programmes, an online booking and gate entry system, and coaching; as well as ensuring the courts are well maintained for years to come.

“We are working with residents and Friends groups and will continue to provide access for all to our outstanding parks and green spaces, including toilets, cafes, playgrounds, sports facilities and gardens. The people of Sheffield deserve it.”