Totnes campaigners urge school trust to support community bid

Friends of Lower Field, formed in September following the withdrawal of permissive public access to the site, says a community purchase could secure the land for public use while providing funding for improvements to the school estate.

The campaign group is asking ESW to clarify the terms of the proposed sale, provide an updated valuation and set out a timeline that would allow a community bid to be developed and funds raised without competition from other potential buyers.

A public meeting called by the school is due to take place at 5.30pm on Tuesday, November 10, in the Ariel Centre at KEVICC. Campaigners are encouraging residents who want to see the field retained as green space and the school receive investment to attend.

Sienna Somers, of Friends of Lower Field, said: “We believe that a community bid for the field and the Elmhirst Building would be absolutely within our reach given the overwhelming support this campaign has received in recent weeks.

“Education South West have a choice now, to work with us so that we can jointly create investment for the school while keeping the needs of the community at the centre of the process, or to ignore us and put the land on the open market. The meeting on the 10th of November is an opportunity for them to share their intentions with the community.”

She added: “We are encouraging everyone who would like to see both funding for KEVICC and to secure Lower Field as green space for the community to attend the public meeting on the 10th, and ask Education South West to work with us to make this a reality.”

The campaigners say cooperation from ESW would be a first step, followed by further valuation work, community consultation and fundraising. They believe clear information about the sale process would enable them to establish a realistic fundraising target based on an independent valuation.

The land is owned by ESW, which has permission from the Secretary of State for Education to sell it at an independently verified land value. The trust has said that the proceeds will be reinvested in KEVICC.

A Department for Education spokesperson previously told The Moorlander: “Following review of an application to dispose of land at the school from Education South West, the Secretary of State consented to the sale of that land in October 2025.

“The consent was subject to the condition that the proceeds of sale were to be used for capital replacement and refurbishment projects at the school.”

ESW has said the proposed disposal is intended to help secure the long-term future of the school estate and fund investment in its buildings and facilities.

An ESW spokesperson said: “KEVICC is a school with a proud history and an important role at the heart of the local community. This proposal is about ensuring the school estate remains sustainable and fit for the future, while allowing investment into the buildings and facilities our students use every day.

“Importantly, there will be no impact on the day-to-day running of the school, and students will continue to benefit from appropriate sports and outdoor provision.

“Regarding the signage about access and parking at the Elmhirst site. We can confirm that these are not new restrictions, the signs have however recently been renewed as part of our ongoing management of the site. It’s also helpful to note that members of the public can always access the river through the public right of way that runs either side of our plot.

“The signs reflect the fact that the site is private land and that access has to be managed primarily around the needs and safeguarding of KEVICC students and the operation of the school. As well as ensuring that authorised community users of the all-weather pitch and the grass alongside it, have access and can park.

“It is important that we know who is using the site and when, both so that we can manage access effectively and keep the site safe and secure. If you run a group in the town and would like to use our facilities, please do get in touch via the booking page on the KEVICC website so we can, arrange access and set you up as an authorised user.

“We recognise that the site is valued by the local community and are committed to being open and transparent as the formal process progresses, no purchaser has yet been identified.”

Lower Field has a history of shared use stretching back decades. Archival correspondence reviewed by campaigners records community sports taking place alongside school activities in the late 1930s.

More recently, the field has been used for informal recreation and access to the River Dart. Campaigners say it has also become particularly important for girls’ and women’s sport since 2020.

Friends of Lower Field was established after signs and barriers appeared in July, withdrawing permissive public access. The group subsequently organised Saturday gatherings to demonstrate the importance of the site to local people, attracting considerable interest and national press coverage.

A survey conducted by the campaign, which received more than 165 responses from local people, found that 90 per cent said the field mattered to their physical or mental wellbeing, while 70 per cent said they had no alternative space to use. Respondents also described memories of using the field over several decades, with some recalling visits as far back as 1966.

The campaign group says it wants to work towards a solution that recognises both the school’s need for investment and the community’s desire to retain access to the green space.

Local people interested in supporting or helping to shape a community purchase can contact Friends of Lower Field at [email protected].