Sport England’s objections to plans to create a controversial skate park on a recreation ground in Highburton have been attacked by a man with an unrivalled knowledge of the site’s history.

Trevor Ferguson, a former treasurer of Kirkburton Junior Football Club and former head of PE at Kirkburton Middle School, has sent a 10-page dossier to Sport England, a statutory organisation which must be consulted on any planning applications that affect playing fields in England.

Mr Ferguson, a resident of Highburton since 1981, is angry about the group’s objections about the wheel park which The Isaac Nash Trust want to develop in memory of tragic youngster Isaac Nash who drowned off Anglesey in August 2014.

More than £150,000 has been raised by the trust towards the proposed wheel park at Burton Acres but members fear Sport England’s objections may derail it when Kirklees Council’s planning committee debates the application later this year.

In November the Examiner reported that Sport England’s planning manager, Dave McGuire, had written to Kirklees Council formally objecting to the plans.

He said the wheel park would mean “the football pitch which is set out on the playing field being moved northwards and reduced in size.”

He added that the FA have advised that: “The pitch is used as a much-needed training and as a warm-up area for Kirkburton AFC Seniors and Juniors.

“It is also extensively used by local young people and families for informal football.”

But Mr Ferguson said Sport England’s document of objection was “littered from start to finish with errors, speculations, falsehoods and plain nonsensical impossibilities.”

Isaac Nash skate park public meeting at Highburton village Hall. Isaac's Grandad Howard Lewis chairs the meeting.

And Howard Lewis, Isaac’s grandfather and one of the main movers behind the scheme, said: “I have been disappointed with Sport England’s behaviour and response, or lack of. It sends the impression of a very arrogant organisation, who though their objection has been shown to be demonstrably incorrect, have not dealt with the situation fairly, reasonably or properly.

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“Surely where an organisation’s objection carries so much weight as to effectively block a planning application there should be a commensurate amount of responsibility shown by that body. And some accountability.”

A Sport England spokesman said: “One of our roles is to protect playing fields from developments that would adversely impact on grassroots sport.

“We’ve looked very closely at this proposal, and believe that the wheeled park could be located on a part of the playing field that does not affect the football pitch.

“We’re happy to review alternative locations with the applicant to see if we can then withdraw our objection.”