NAOMI CANTON

13 January 2007 11:20

Fears a city high school's playing fields could be sold off and turned into a private members' fitness centre have again been raised.

Norfolk County Council today strongly denied it was in "active" negotiations with David Lloyd Leisure (DLL), which is owned by Whitbread, over acquiring land at the Hewett School.

But officials at County Hall admitted they had received "fresh inquiries" from DLL about the site and discussions had taken place.

It emerged today that DLL was in contact with the authority over buying up a quarter of the school's playing fields as recently as September 2006.

The Evening News has copies of e-mails between Whitbread and NPS Property Consultants Ltd (NPS) the property arm of Norfolk County Council, showing a fresh bid was discussed between June and September 2006.

The e-mails were obtained from the Residents Against Inappropriate Development (RAID), which is campaigning against the development, as a result of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Peter Weavers, asset management director, at NPS, said today: "We have received no new proposals from DLL for a development on the site and are not in active negotiations with the company.

"However, it is possible that a health and fitness operator could come up with a new proposal and if it did so we would consider its merits."

But the e-mails show Whitbread e-mailed NPS in June asking if the playing fields were still up for sale, and NPS, who would net £10m from their sale, replied that they were. There then followed an exchange of e-mails.

In August 2005 the Evening News revealed how plans to build a private gym on the Hewett School playing fields were scrapped when DLL withdrew its proposals after they was called in by the secretary of state. The Government is opposed to the sale of playing fields except in extreme circumstances.

The original proposals were put forward by a consortium of developers and included a private nursery, 80-bed private nursing home and a 240-space car park. The sale would have funded a new £2m sports hall at the Hewett School and created more than 100 jobs.

But RAID, the Norwich Green Party and other groups opposed it saying it would increase traffic, concrete over a green space, and take away fields used by community football teams.

Keith Farwell, of Cecil Road, a spokesman for RAID, said a DLL gym would be too expensive for local residents, a nursery and nursing home would duplicate facilities and the sports hall could be funded through other means.

"Even though the council has not been in formal talks there has been a chain of e-mails between them and Whitbread. There is a major shortage of football playing fields and the council has made no efforts to engage the local community."

Norwich South MP Charles Clarke said he was not aware the plans were back on the table.

But he said: "I would strongly support this development which would add to the community and educational facilities in that part of Norwich."

A spokesperson for DLL said: "DLL has an extensive number of target locations throughout UK where it is looking to develop for the benefit of local people.

"Norwich has been one of these target locations for some years. In the summer of 2005 we withdrew proposals to build a premium racquets, health and fitness club on land at the Hewett School. However, as part of the acquisition process the company continues to follow up/monitor new and old sites."