Letter to the Editor: 112 years of cricket history under threat

Tadworth Cricket Club is a small village cricket club that already spends a significant amount of its members funds on maintenance of the area so that it is appropriate for cricket but also for the use and pleasure of the General public from the local area.  We estimate that each year we spend around £10,000 on the sports ground of which approximately £3,000 is spent on maintaining the non cricket square areas designated for sport at Mill Road for the pleasure of cricketers and villagers alike.  It is inaccurate to claim that Tadworth CC has not paid anything for its use and would argue that it is unfair to make any comparison with the situations of any other local clubs.  We cut the grass, fill in rabbit holes as well as prepare cricket wickets all at our own cost. 

Over the last 18 months we have been in discussions with Reigate and Banstead Council  and the Banstead Commons Conservators  (BCC) about under what legal authority they seek to levy a charge on Tadworth CC to play cricket at Mill Road.  Reigate and Banstead Council agreed with Tadworth CC that they were unable to charge and we are not clear why Banstead Commons Conservators think that their situation is different under the terms of the 1893 act that was set up for the management of the Banstead Commons.   We await legal confirmation of that authority from BCC and so far they have been unable or unwilling to provide it.

We were waiting to resolve these discussions before making public comment on the claim for an annual payment to continue play cricket but based on the recent article in the Epsom Guardian (Cricket club must find £1,000 to stay) we believe that we should aim to set the record straight and reinforce our commitment to continuing the 112 year history of cricket in Tadworth Village at a significant cost to our members.

Craig Stevenson

Chairman Tadworth Cricket Club

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