Local Liberal Democrats have reacted angrily to the news that Labour is failing to live up to its promise to protect playing fields.

Figures uncovered by the Lib Dems show that playing fields deemed vital to local sport are being lost at a rate of one a week.

The government have been forced to reveal statistics, in response to a request by the Liberal Democrats, which show that on average 843 planning applications affecting playing fields are accepted each year.  Of those applications approved, Sport England believe that an average of 57 a year constitute a ‘threat’ to sporting provision for surrounding communities.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Chapel End, John Macklin, has led local calls for the better protection of grassroots sporting facilities within Waltham Forest, a problem highlighted by the cutting of lottery grants to sporting organisations ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in East London.

Lib Dems on Waltham Forest Council recently unveiled proposals for the formation of a ‘Sports Academy’, comprising existing venues within the borough, which would offer specialist coaching and training in relevant skills such as physiotherapy.

Cllr Macklin said:

“It’s an absolute travesty that the nation’s playing fields legacy is being sold off under our noses.

“The mass selling off of playing fields both in our area and across the UK was supposed to be a nothing but a bad memory of the Conservative government of the 1980’s.  Instead, we have Labour MP’s admitting that they have failed to tackle the problem, as they promised to do in 1997.”

Cllr Macklin also noted that the figures released by the government did not include smaller playing fields.

“Labour announced as far back as 2002 that they were reducing the size threshold for statutory consultation on playing fields.  This has proved to be yet another broken promise.

“A real legacy of the Olympic Games in 2012 would be for our budding sportsmen and women in Waltham Forest to still have the green spaces available to be able to practice and participate in sports with their friends.

“Labour now has to stop selling off our playing fields and end the empty rhetoric and broken promises regarding its commitment to sporting activity.”