Residents Question Who Private Club Expansion Is Ultimately For
A members-only club has applied to extend across a stretch of open land, citing jobs, prestige and community benefit, while residents continue to ask what scale is proposed and who will be permitted to use it.
News Intro
A private members' club has submitted plans to extend its grounds across an adjoining area of open land, prompting a lengthy public consultation in which both the club and local officials have described the proposal in terms of jobs, prestige, investment and community benefit.
Residents attending the consultation say they support each of those things in principle. They have asked, on several occasions, how large the extension will be, who will be allowed to use the land afterwards, and which of the stated benefits are intended for them.
The club and the local authority have thanked residents for these questions and returned to the language of jobs, prestige, investment and community benefit.
The land in question is currently unfenced and in general use for walking, dog exercise and informal sport. The application describes it as an "underutilised community asset with significant potential for activation."
What the plans say
Documents lodged with the planning authority describe an "enhanced membership offer" delivered through a "phased footprint expansion." The proposal refers repeatedly to "opening the site up," a phrase residents have asked to have clarified.
At the consultation, a club representative confirmed that the extension would be accessible to members. Asked whether it would be accessible to non-members, the representative said the club was "committed to being part of the fabric of the community" and looked forward to "welcoming the community in the appropriate way at the appropriate time."
A resident asked whether the appropriate way involved a membership fee. The representative said the club valued the question and would take it away.
Officials present described the scheme as a vote of confidence in the area. One noted that the investment would bring prestige. A second resident asked whether prestige was available to people who did not join the club. The meeting moved to the next agenda item.
Members' Forum
A post from the club's membership discussion board, reproduced without correction.
Delighted to report the expansion is progressing well and the community engagement has been extremely positive. We held an open session and turnout was excellent, lots of local faces, lots of very engaged questions, which is exactly the kind of dialogue we want.
People keep asking who the land is for and honestly it's a fair question and I think we've answered it very clearly. It's for the community. It's also, of course, for the membership, because the membership is part of the community, so really there's no tension there once you look at it properly.
There was a bit of back and forth about access and fees but I think everyone left reassured. We were completely transparent. We said access would be managed appropriately and that the offer would be tailored to the right people at the right stage, which I think is about as open as you can be.
One chap asked three times how many acres. I don't have the exact figure to hand but I told him it was a significant and appropriate footprint and he seemed to accept that. Overall a real bridge-building exercise. The green space has never been busier and now it'll be busier still, just with a gate on it, which is a net gain for everyone.
What The Language Is Doing
When a proposal repeatedly describes benefits without naming a beneficiary, the beneficiary is usually the party doing the describing. "Opening the site up" and "activation" are outcomes phrased so that no one can object to them, because no one can quite work out what they are. The residents are not confused. They are asking the correct questions, and the correct questions are the ones the language is structured to avoid.
Rail Perspective
Much has been made of the land itself, but I note the site has no direct rail connection. Any genuine community asset should first be judged on whether the community can reach it by train. On that measure the entire scheme is premature.
Community Reaction
Marge H. · Lived here 30 years · 214 reactions · Commented at the consultation
Asked twice how many acres. Was thanked twice. Still don't know how many acres.
Dev W. · Walks the dog there daily · 168 reactions · Commented after the meeting
They kept saying "opening it up." You don't open something up by putting a fence and a membership desk on it. That's the opposite of the verb.
Pam from the allotments · Uses the far corner · 97 reactions · Replying to Dev W.
I'm genuinely fine with jobs and investment. I'd just like one person to finish the sentence "the community will be able to use it if..." Nobody's finished the sentence.
Anon · Prefers not to say · 302 reactions · Commented locally
Everyone in the room was extremely polite. That's the worrying part.
Community Poll
Community Poll
Latest reader breakdown
What is the proposed extension ultimately for?
Update
The club has issued a further statement confirming that it has "heard the community loud and clear" and will be establishing a Community Liaison Group to ensure residents feel involved at every stage. Membership of the Community Liaison Group, the statement adds, will be by invitation.
The authority welcomed the announcement as evidence of meaningful engagement. Residents welcomed it as well, and then asked how many acres. The Community Liaison Group is understood to be the appropriate forum for that question, once it has been convened, and once it has agreed who is permitted to attend.
A revised set of plans is expected in the autumn. The word "acreage" does not appear in the summary. The word "prestige" appears four times.
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