20 May 1998 - Early days of the Playing Fields
This was printed in The Chard & Ilminster News - 20th May, 1998
AN EXTRACT FROM THE CHARD & ILMINSTER NEWS-MAY 17, 1973
The twin villages of Seavington St Michael and St Mary are under an unlucky star, which is causing frustration at this particular time. First the Diocese of Bath and Wells has refused to lease a small piece of glebe land for a village hall car park. Now prospects of providing a recreation field have receded.
Three years ago a small group of villagers formed the “Seavington Group” with the avowed intention of finding a field where increasing numbers of village youngsters, and the local football team, could play. They thought they had the ideal site near the A303 and a short distance from Water lane - but in stepped the planning authority and the county surveyor, who demanded a 45 ft. “visibility splay” at the entrance to the ground, on land owned by Dillington Estate.
Mrs Cameron, owner of the estate, listened to the approaches of Mrs A J Jack, wife of the chairman of the group, and agreed to the sale of part of the site - about three-quarters of an acre, freehold, for £1,000 - and the lease of the remainder at £15 per year. The group members were delighted, for they had been successful in fund-raising activities; Chard district council had recommended a 12% per cent grant towards the cost of the freehold; and £60 towards levelling the rest of the field for a football pitch and a recreation ground.
But, alas, Mr Jack had to tell a meeting in the village hall last week, that they “could not meet the requirements for a visibility splay” because a wall had been built and fir trees planted by Mr Hill, the owner of the Pheasant restaurant. “Our proposal cut across part of his property,” said Mr Jack. “The sole reason for the rejection of our scheme is a newly-built wall and the newly planted trees… The wall and the trees may well improve the appearance of Water Street. We have never questioned Mr Hill’s right to do what he has done. An Englishman’s home is his castle - but in this case I may paraphrase that by saying an Englishman’s pheasant is our grouse.