FURTHER to your newspaper article with details of Harrow Community Sport’s wish to turn Broadfields into a campsite - this request is just stunning.

Lamont PA refers to London being a ‘number one tourist destination’. I totally agree, London is very much a ‘number one tourist destination’ enjoyed by millions from around the world.

But why on earth would Harrow need to offer a camping and caravan site to facilitate this demand?

I cannot fathom this for the life of me. This is a highly populated, residential area (true Metropolitan land), that would have no need to offer ‘provision’ for the demands of London tourism.

There is no reason whatsoever for this type of request to have been submitted, other than in the eyes of the management of a company lodging the request in desperation.

The reason why the football pitches are no longer used is because the company’s management decided to sub-let the premises to a provider, who when the football season came around in September 2010, would appear to have vanished without a trace (notices pinned to the gates stating so, in not so many words at the time).

Those football clubs that have used the facilities for many years (Salvatorians, Broadfields) were thus given no option but to seek alternative arrangements at short notice. A shocking turn of events, that would have clearly caused much upheaval at the time.

Indeed, I myself had played there on numerous occasions, and had enjoyed the excellent facilities that were on offer, as had the many thousands from in and around the local area, only for this to have been taken away.

Turning to the questions of caravans gaining access to the site, we have four children all attending local schools in the area and my wife has called the local council on numerous occasions, with a request for suitable crossing facilities to be provided, only to be told that Headstone Lane is a ‘busy thoroughfare’ and that providing such a simple (and still much needed) way of crossing a road was just not an option.

But yet, now we will see caravans lined up on this same ‘busy thoroughfare’, waiting to turn into what is already an incredibly tight turning.

What on earth are the applicants (and indeed their so called advisors) thinking even to consider this viable?

I and all of our neighbours, and the local community beyond, will be doing whatever it takes to block this ridiculous request.

STEVE OWEN

via e-mail