Harrow School have said it will consider 'more options' following an outcry from residents over being blocked off from their local field.
Neighbours of Kingsfield Road, Harrow on the Hill, rallied together after a notice put up by Harrow Council last week saying that John Lyon’s Charity who own Churchfields have insisted the authority install a gate restricting public access sparked concerns.
But following a demonstration on Monday, a spokeswoman for Harrow School, which is part of the Harrow Foundation alongside John Lyon's Charity and The John Lyon School, said: “In order to maintain all parties’ enjoyment of the site, we will be contacting the council in the next day or two to discuss some options.
“We have been grateful for feedback from local residents and other users, which we hope will enable us to reach a mutually agreeable solution for all involved.”
Churchfields is accessible via other roads, leaving some confused as to why the Kingsfield Road entrance has been singled out.
Gareth Thomas, Labour MP for Harrow West, said: “I have lived in Harrow all my life and Kingsfield Road has always had access, so I share the concerns of the neighbours of Churchfields, and I am in the process of writing to John Lyon’s Charity about the issue.”
The council last renewed its lease for the land in 1992 and the lease expires in two years.
Harrow on the Hill ward councillor Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane (Conservative) said: “It is madness from John Lyon to do this, and to go out of its way to upset neighbours who are now in fear that the value of their homes will plummet as a result.”
