Larkins Playing Fields was one of the Council’s larger and principle open spaces in the Borough and was located in the Pilgrims Hatch ward along the Ongar Road.

The site had, since 2016, been the home of Brentwood Youth AFC.  The club came into being when Brentwood Athletic and Kelvedon Hatch decided to merge. This created a new club within Brentwood with over 400 members.

The site had three football pitches of varying sizes marked out to support the club at, what was, its home ground.

There was also an area of unused ground that could accommodate a further two pitches, however this lay wet during the winter months rendering it unusable in its current condition.

The club resided at the site on an unofficial basis with no secure tenure, their residency was secured each season via the hiring of pitches from the council for the winter sports season. This allocation was not guaranteed each year.

In order to allow the club to create a permanent base at Larkins Playing Field club representatives had approached the Council with regard to securing a licence to occupy the site on a more formal and permanent basis.

The site was designated as public open space and also had a number of restrictive covenants placed on it as part of the deed of gift when the site was given to the Council by the Larkin family.

The designation coupled with the restrictive covenants meant that there could be complications in issuing the club a licence to occupy, therefore it was felt that legal advice should be sought prior to responding to the club.

Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the recommendations subject to an amendment to 2.2 :

2.2That the findings of this investigation be reported back to the next committee along with associated recommendations

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

1.    That members instruct Officers to investigate the legal implications and restrictions that may be present in the issuing of a licence to occupy to Brentwood Youth AFC for Larkins Playing Fields. 

2.    That the findings of this investigation be reported back to the next committee along with associated recommendations.

Reasons for Recommendation

To allow Officers to establish the legal position of issuing a licence to occupy for Brentwood Youth AFC at Larkin Playing Fields.