Teddington MP Munira Wilson has requested an urgent meeting with Conservative peer Lord Fink over the future of Udney Park playing fields.
She is taking action after a resident-led bid for the site was rejected by the field's owners, Affordable Housing and Healthcare group (AHH), in favour of an alternative sporting bid.
Local councillors and campaigners fighting to save the fields from development slammed the decision and expressed their fears about the fields' future.
Now Wilson is calling on Lord Fink, also known as Baron Fink, to meet with her to discuss the fields' future.
Hedge-fund manager Lord Fink is the Chairman of AHH and one of the Conservative party's top donors.
He has been a life peer with the party since 2011 and was a significant backer of Boris Johnson's campaign for Mayor.
In 2015 Johnson said at Mayor's Question Time: “I note Udney Park was donated to St Mary’s Medical School by Lord Beaverbrook in 1937 specifically for use as rugby union pitches.
"It would be an absolute scandal and an outrage if that land was lost for that purpose. My general view is that you should keep green space in London and rugby pitches should be regarded as sacrosanct."
In her letter to Lord Fink, Wilson pointed out that AHH had not met or engaged with the bid's leader Jonathan Dunn despite the company's ethical goals.
"You state on AHH’s website that: “Investors benefit from good returns, wealth preservation and peace of mind that their capital delivers positive social and economic impact,"" she wrote.
"AHH’s stated aspirations display a progressive approach to communities and investing.
Continue Reading the Article on Teddington Nub News:Teddington Udney Park update: MP requests urgent meeting with Tory peer and AHH chairman over fields' future | teddington.nub.news
Local MP, Munira Wilson, gave an impassioned speech emphasising the importance of retaining playing fields for community use rather than allowing them to be land banked by developers.
I thought that I ought to update everyone as the latest moratorium period under the ACV is about to expire. At this point Mr Wu can market the site again to commercial bidders. Before the moratorium period he attempted to sell the site over a twelve-month period and attracted an offer from a single developer called Mr Williams. This bid later evaporated. No doubt Mr Wu hopes for more meaningful interest the next time around.
The Foundation has received welcome support from the football community as the statements below -
Lee Doyle, CEO of Brentford FC CST
"The Brentford FC Community Sports Trust aims to deliver exciting, progressive and socially inclusive multi-sports participation, coach education and facility development programmes, enabling participants, coaches and volunteers to realise their potential through community sport. The Trust supports the aims of the Udney Park Community Fields Foundation to buy and run these precious playing fields in Teddington"
