S. Wales Evening Post - 14 September 2005
Residents living next to the disused Vetch Field want to see the famous old football ground turned into a park. With the Swans safely settled into their new £27 million Morfa-based stadium, the once-vociferous North Bank lies abandoned. The pitch, which saw more than 90 years of footballing history, has been left to grow wild while Swansea Council decides what to do with the prime development site.
Speculation on what will happen at the old Sandfields ground has been rife since the end of last season and funding applications are being drawn up by the council, but what the money will be spent on remains a mystery.
An announcement on the next stage is due this autumn.While the cash-strapped council may be tempted to cash in on its asset and allow the land to be used for property development, residents have come out in support of a green area such as a park for the children to play in.
Another popular idea is for a community centre for the residents.
One resident, Margaret Langton, aged 75, said: "I would like to see something for the residents such as a community centre and a nice play area for the children."
Some residents claim legal documents from the Land Registry could force the council to keep the Vetch as a green area for them.
But this has been denied by the council.
A spokeswoman said the documents merely showed the council was the registered freehold owner of the land.
"These covenants do not affect the council's use of the land but merely refer to the council's requirement to pay a yearly rent charge of £472 on the land," she added.
"The council has not made a decision on the future of the Vetch Field site and is carrying on its consultations with residents of the Sandfields area."
Sandfields Residents' Association secretary Margaret Edmonds said: "This is an opportunity to create something for Sandfields for the next 100 years.
"We want to get it right."
