The local comprehensive, King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC)<\/a>, has been given the go-ahead by the UK government to sell the 1.5-hectare plot \u2013 Lower Field<\/a> \u2013 and it is likely houses will be built on it.<\/p>\n School leaders say they desperately need funds to revamp neglected buildings but campaigners claim the sell-off is an example of land that has been used by communities for decades being whisked away \u2013 a modern \u201cenclosure\u201d of public space.<\/p>\n Anna Ali said there was \u2018hidden impoverishment\u2019 in the area. Photograph: Jim Wileman\/The Guardian<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s devastating,\u201d said Becca Robinson, who uses the field for women\u2019s and girls\u2019 fitness classes. \u201cI\u2019m trying to get women and girls to be more active and to get outdoors. The great thing about the field is it\u2019s an open space, so it feels safe. It really worries me that, if we lost it, fewer women and girls will exercise.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also a spot people go just to do their own thing rather than take part in structured sport. You can just make an ad hoc decision to go and play a game or just to sit and read.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this year, the anti-poverty charity Trussell published research revealing almost half of UK residents (45%) had lost access to at least one community space \u2013 such as a park, social club, library or post office \u2013 since 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n Danielle McIlven, who has been organising games of rounders on the field, attended the school and said Lower Field had been part of her life for years. \u201cIt\u2019s about the unstructured play that can take place there. In the summer you see swarms of teenagers playing there or heading down to the river.\u201d<\/p>\n Anna Ali, the organiser of a women\u2019s football \u201ckickabout\u201d and a member of the campaign group Friends of Lower Field<\/a>, said the town had a reputation for being middle class and affluent. \u201cBut there is quite a lot of hidden impoverishment. Public green spaces are vital. I was speaking to a woman who brings her grandchildren here. They can\u2019t afford to join sports clubs, so kicking a ball around on the field is a lifeline.\u201d<\/p>\n Lewis Winks, a leading member of the Right to Roam<\/a> group, said Lower Field had been shared by the school and the wider Totnes community since it was gifted by the Elmhirst family, known for progressive farming, forestry and educational projects on the nearby Dartington Estate<\/a>, about a century ago.<\/p>\n Campaigner Lewis Winks said Lower Field had been shared by the school and community for about a century. Photograph: Jim Wileman\/The Guardian<\/p>\n A key issue the Friends group is digging into is the details of the Elmhirst gift \u2013 and whether it may have been legally given to the community or permanently protected for community use.<\/p>\n Winks said: \u201cLower Field is a vital place for young people and families to play, exercise and spend time together. Losing it would undermine the town\u2019s vitality and wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter |Every weekday<\/p>\n Sign up to First Edition<\/p>\n Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what\u2019s happening and why it matters<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n The Friends group wants Education South West, the trust the school is part of, to explore whether the field could be sold to the community. Winks said: \u201cWe are asking for a realistic window to raise the money. A community purchase could help fund improvements at KEVICC while safeguarding the field for its pupils and the wider community.\u201d<\/p>\n But it is a race against time. The land is expected to be put on the market in January, giving little time to raise funds. Campaigners also highlight that measures under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 aimed at giving communities greater influence over the places and assets that matter to them<\/a> are unlikely to come into force in time. \u201cWe\u2019re falling through the gap regarding a right to buy,\u201d Winks said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792252812_30_1000.jpg\")
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