Access to Headland Road Playing Field

Welford on Avon Parish Council, Warwicksire County Council and Welford on Avon Primary School have been working in the background to secure public access to the playing field on Headland Road. The most promising long term solution is thanks to the generosity of a local land owner. They have offered a parcel of land for Welford on Avon school’s exclusive use. In exchange, the Parish Council would become owners of the portion of the playing field that encloses the parish play equipment.

On the face of it this is a relatively simple solution. However, implementation has a number of steps and is time-consuming. To-date, the transaction is not complete and the licence granting public access to Headland Road playing field expired on the 15 May 2025. Since then, the playing field gate has been locked. An interim solution is needed.

A new interim license has been drawn up by the school allowing public access to the playing field;

• between 09:00 and sunset
• restricted to children below 12 years of age
• on weekends during the Summer Term only
• on all school holidays (excluding inset days)

The Parish Council considered this licence in detail at its meeting of 20 May 2025; the first opportunity since receiving it. Opinion was divided. After a vote, the Parish Council decided, with a 4 to 3 majority, to accept the licence offer on behalf of the village.

The Parish Council concluded that the licence on offer was the best it was likely to receive. Further, restricted access was preferable to no access. And finally, in accepting the offer, the Parish Council expect Warwickshire County Council and the school to use best efforts to conclude the land transaction outlined above.

The Parish Council expect the playing field to be open again for public access from the weekend of 23 May 2025. Conditions of access will be published and displayed by the gate.

More information at www.welfordonavon.com/playing-field-background-summer-2025