CONTROVERSIAL proposals to  sell off a school playing field in  the city could be blocked by  Sport England, it has emerged.

The public body has expressed concerns about Devon  County Council’s proposal to  sell off the grassy sports pitch at  St Leonard’s Primary School to  the Exeter Royal Academy for  Deaf Education.

As revealed in the Echo, the  academy, in Topsham Road,  proposes to develop new buildings on the former St Nicholas  School site in St Leonard’s. The  proposals would involve sharing outdoor play areas and a  field with St Leonard’s Primary  School.

The grass sports pitch behind  the primary school would be  changed into a car park and a  shared hard and soft play area.

Around a third of Mount Radford Lawn, a grassy area across  the road from the primary  school, which is owned by the  academy, would be a site for  residential accommodation for  student boarders and an  all-weather pitch.

 In a letter seen by the Echo,  Sport England, which must be  consulted over decisions to sell  school playing fields, said: “As a  statutory consultee and given  the loss of playing fields in recent years, we are duly concerned about how these proposals may affect local sporting  provision.”

It continued: “In light of the  current information, we have  concerns about proposals regarding the site as developments could reduce the amount  of playing fields available and  accessibility to students and the  wider community.”

Sport England said it may  consider objecting to the plans  due to loss of playing fields in  line with its National Playing  Fields policy.

 Parents campaigning against  the potential sale welcomed the  news.

 Halley Cohen, 42, who has a  child at St Leonard’s, said:  “Sport England has a very  strong voice. So, if it has expressed reservations about the  proposals, we are really  pleased.

“It really carries a lot of  weight and I hope it would make  the council think twice about  continuing down the road in  terms of this sale.

“It’s a commonsense response and very good news from  our perspective.”

Jenny Malloch, chairman of  the campaign group set up to  oppose the plans, said: “We are  heartened to hear that Sport  England and Ben Bradshaw are  listening to the genuine concerns of the parents and children over the potential loss of  our field.

 “Sport England is the statutory consultee when selling  playing fields and we would  hope that Devon County Council will listen to its advice and  see that this proposal is not in  the best interests of the  schools.”

 Devon County Council leader  John Hart, who recently toured  the site, has stressed no decision had yet been taken to sell  the playing field and he hoped to  reach a solution which the St  Leonard’s community would  find acceptable and which  would enhance the facilities at  St Leonard’s School.

Academy chief executive  Jonathan Farnhill has claimed  the current playing field at the  school is too small and of poor  quality.

He said: “Mount Radford  Lawn would be upgraded and  improved and it would be a step  up for the school.

 “It is more about enabling it  to have an appropriate sports  facility for a school of that  size.”

Around 1,300 people have  signed a petition against the  proposal.