Angry villagers call for a poll on parkland sell-off

Around 150 residents crammed into Heckington Village Hall on Wednesday, July 17, with roughly another 75 standing around outside eager to air their opinions and hear the outcome of the extraordinary meeting of the parish council which was called by a couple of its members – Dawn Bell and Nigel Stanley.

Heckington Parish Council vice-chairman Coun Richard Higgs was appointed to chair the highly charged meeting in the absence of chairman Coun Jan Palmer.

The piece of land at Star Fen was purchased in April this year after councillors had agreed in principle, in July 2023, to purchase the six acre piece of land subject to support in a public consultation.

It was accepted at the meeting that the survey via a Facebook poll was not adequate as many residents did not have access and villagers had not been able to form a proper judgement as they did not know the location of the land, 2.2 miles from the village centre on a narrow country lane.

Coun Bell said no business plan or risk assessment could be prepared by the clerk in advance as the details were kept confidential under the terms of the deal.

Coun Higgs admitted they had hoped to get a National Lottery grant to develop the field but that was now unavailable but there were still other options. He said there had been no other plots for sale within the village at an affordable price and they could temporarily rent it out while the matter is resolved. He claimed the land was likely to have increased in value having been sold at a favourable price.

A resident, echoed by others, said: “This community is against it and it is a non-starter. It needs to be sold and the council review its practices and find out what the village really wants.”

Coun Bell described the field as nothing more than “a landing strip”. She added: “I said it is too small and too far out,” but she said members against the deal were “poo-pooed”.

The meeting voted for a parish poll to establish whether parishioners wanted to keep the land or sell it when legally permitted after a six month restriction comes to an end.