Council eyes school playing fields

1:26pm Thursday 17th February 2005

Barnet's school playing fields could be sold off in a bid to raise money for the borough's needy primary schools.

The council is looking into selling surplus land at schools to raise the £139 million necessary to make improvements to buildings.

Labour education spokesman, Barry Rawlings, said: "Selling school playing fields when children already don't get enough exercise, and there are fears about childhood obesity, is very worrying."

But Councillor John Marshall, cabinet member for education, said the land needed to be sold to fund a better education for children.

"It's just scaremongering," he said. "The Government has said if we have surplus assets then we have to utilise those to rebuild primary schools.

"We will not deprive schools of existing playing fields if needs be, we will introduce all-weather pitches."

A decision on which land should be sold will be made in September.