In a shock move, Labour is removing protection given to current and former school playing fields.
Councils such as Wirral have been given the green light to sell off school playing fields and to use money from sales for general council spending.
Crucially Labour is also removing Sport England’s role as a statutory consultee for planning applications involving playing fields.
The Labour Government have also cut young people’s access to sport facilities - the ‘Opening Schools Facilities’ fund, which provided support for schools to open their sporting facilities during the school holidays and outside the school day, is not being renewed.
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Among those raising concerns about the change in policy is former England midfielder and the new President of Fields in Trust, Jill Scott MBE:
"I’m concerned that so many of these spaces have been lost already. As President of Fields in Trust, I urge everyone to support and protect their local parks – to enjoy them, fight for them, and never take them for granted. Access to parks and green spaces should be seen as a right, not a privilege"
