Playing Fields, BHASVIC, Hove

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 4 Oct 2015

The fields are bounded by BHASVIC (Brighton & Hove Sixth Form College) to the east, the Cliftonville Spur railway line to the west, Old Shoreham Road to the south and Dyke Road Park to the north. The section in view is on the western side near the railway with the floodlights of the County Ground visible in the distance. For a long time there has been questions over the ownership of the land which was resolved over the summer of 2015 whereby the pitches adjacent to BHASVIC in the east belonging to the college and the rest under ownership of Brighton & Hove Council. Although not designated a public park it has long been used by the locals as an open space which at times has run into conflict with neighbouring Cardinal Newman School who use the field as extra space for PE lessons and are responsible for its maintenance. In 2013 the site was selected by Michael Gove as the preferred site of a new free school which at least united the various parties in opposition which was eventually successful. As such it remains an open space though since September 2015 the council has banned dogs from most of the fields particularly during the week when in use. The field was originally a large triangular piece of pasture between Old Shoreham Road and Dyke Road that had become allotments by 1911 then subdivided between Dyke road park to the north and playing fields to the south during the inter-war years.

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