Kings Head Meadow where Wymondham Town play football

A packed town council meeting descended into scenes of anger and frustration after a motion to delay the transfer of a football ground and recreation area for a new ASDA supermarket was rejected.

There was standing room only in Fairland Church last night and some residents screamed “shame on you” and “you’re supposed to be representing us” at Wymondham town councillors after councillor Robert Savage’s proposal to delay the signing over of Kings Head Meadow, current home of Wymondham Town FC, until the results of the town’s area action plan was known, were rejected by nine votes to six.

Councillor Savage had called for the transfer of the council land to be put on hold because the action plan would be setting out appropriate areas for development within the town. He also wanted the developer to provide a full business case for building the 23,000sq ft store on the site, which would then be debated along with the results of the action plan at the next town council meeting on May 1.

Wymondham Mayor Neil Ward said: “Sometimes in life there are things that you have to do that give you greater opportunities. It is two acres of Kings Head Meadow that is being taken, it would not be the whole of Kings Head Meadow, that is clear.”

Earlier in the evening, a number of councillors said they felt they had not been properly informed of all developments relating to the store, prior to the council agreeing to support the proposal.

A number of members of the Wymondham Asks Why (WAW) action group, set up to oppose the plans to site the store on King’s Head Meadow, were present, including chairman Andy Gardiner.

The group does not want to see a greenfield site providing public recreation space, including a children’s play area, being taken by the store and feels the land is part of the heritage of the town, having been used as a recreation site for 300 years.

Traffic was another major concern for residents.