Express & Echo (City & East Devon Edition)
College defends artificial pitch after latest protest
CAMPAIGNERS have reignited protests against a plan to install an artificial sports pitch in the city, saying it will “destroy” wildlife.
However, Exeter College said the pitch “has been designed to the highest environmental standards” and will address a “lack” of sports facilities in the area.
On Saturday, March 30, the Exeter branch of Extinction Rebellion gathered on Flowerpot Playing Fields in Exwick to protest against the college’s plan to lay an all-weather sports pitch next to the skate park.
The proposal, which also includes plans for a new sports pavilion, was first submitted in November 2021 and soon sparked backlash.
At the time, a local resident created a petition to object to the application, citing concerns about the impact the pitch could have on the environment, wildlife and human health. There were also 42 public responses to the initial application, with 32 objecting.
In December 2022, the plan was revised, which included shifting the proposed pitch to be built over one of the three existing grass pitches, meaning the two to the south would remain unchanged.
The revisions also introduced plans to retain trees and hedges and create new wildlife corridors to compensate for the loss of grass.
The application was granted approval in February 2023.
Extinction Rebellion maintains that the plan is still a threat to biodiversity and, during the protest members put a large banner across the rugby posts which said: “Save our green space from wildlife destruction and plastic pollution”. It has since been removed, but a poster from the protest remains attached to one of the nearby trees.
The college said the pitch will be made from an organic infill, rather than a rubber crumb, which it described as “highly sustainable”. It said other materials used will be recyclable and that the pitch’s life will be extended by “a regular programme of maintenance to remove any displaced or broken-down fibre”.
Matthew, a member of Extinction Rebellion Exeter who lives in St Thomas, said: “There could be up to 2.5 million worms under the Flowerpot rugby pitch. The birds in the fields need these worms for food.
For some species of UK birds numbers are just a quarter of what they were 50 years ago. Each small decision that makes their lives harder means more birds die. We must not allow their extinction.”
Margaret Turner, from St Leonard’s, added: “Laying the plastic pitch is an act of ecocide.”
In response, a spokesperson for Exeter College said: “The playing pitch strategy for Exeter has identified a lack of facilities for the local and wider area. This is stopping local rugby clubs developing more teams, particularly for women and girls. The new 3G pitch will help to address this concern, as it will be available when other facilities may be out of action due to the weather.
“We are taking every step possible to ensure this project will enhance wildlife in the area, such as new tree planting and wildflower grassland creation. The pitch itself has been designed to the highest environmental standards and uses the latest materials and techniques to minimise its impact, both in use and at the ‘end-of-life’ stage.
“At the end of the pitch’s life, the 100% natural wood pellets can be recycled. Sand will be used as a stabilising infill.”