Church Eaton Cricket Club and the Glebelands Sports Association (GSA) are aware of recent online discussion regarding the Glebelands, its ownership, and proposals to register the land as a Village Green. We feel it is important to provide a clear, factual statement to reassure residents, dispel rumours, and explain our position openly.

Ownership and lease position

The Glebelands is privately owned by the Diocese of Lichfield and is leased to the Glebelands Sports Association, under which the cricket and tennis clubs operate. This arrangement has been in place for over 40 years.

The local church does not own, control, or financially benefit from the land or the lease. This has been formally confirmed by representatives of the church, and the matter now sits correctly with the Diocese.

The clubs currently have over 7 years remaining on their existing lease and we are currently engaging in discussions to secure a futher long-term lease. There are no notices, plans, or indications that the clubs are being removed from the site. Suggestions that the club may disappear or be evicted are unfounded.

Position on Village Green status

To be absolutely clear, Church Eaton Cricket Club does not support the registration of the Glebelands as a Village Green.

While such designations are often presented as protective, in practice they can introduce legal uncertainty for landowners and long-established leaseholders. In many cases, landowners are advised to restrict informal access, formalise use, or tighten controls to protect themselves legally. This can unintentionally reduce the freedom and goodwill-based access that currently exists.

Our current arrangement allows the Glebelands to remain open, welcoming, insured, safe, and properly managed, which benefits both sport and the wider village.

Community use and contribution

Although the Glebelands is not public land, the club have always taken a community-first approach. The village has been welcomed to enjoy the space respectfully through goodwill rather than legal obligation.

Each year, the club collectively raises over £20,000 to allow us just to operate, covering pitch and outfield maintenance, mowing, tree management, insurance, safeguarding, compliance, and facilities upkeep. Improvements require additional fundraising on top of this.

This work is carried out by unpaid volunteers, many of whom give significant time freely, year after year, for the benefit of both the clubs and the wider village.

In addition, the club actively gives back. Our recent multi-community event raised over £2,000 for charity, reflecting our commitment not just to cricket, but to the broader community we serve.

Church Eaton Cricket Club exists for the community. We support and work alongside:

the village and its residents,

the local church,

the tennis club,

the Glebelands Sports Association,

families and young people,

dog walkers and casual users,

those who use the car park,

the pub and other local businesses,

the school and its pupils.

The Glebelands works because it is shared, respected, and cared for. The cricket club is not in opposition to the village — we are part of it. Our players, volunteers, and committee members live locally, send their children to the school, support local businesses, walk their dogs here, and give up their time to keep this space safe and welcoming.

That is why we are genuinely disappointed to see issues framed in a way that risks creating division. Division helps no one — not the village, not the landowner, not the church, and not the future of the Glebelands.

Church Eaton Cricket Club is growing and moving forward — expanding junior cricket, increasing participation, improving facilities, and working constructively with the GSA, the Diocese, sporting bodies, funders, and the wider community to secure a strong future.

The most effective way for residents to support and protect the Glebelands is by:

becoming a member (social membership is as little as £20 per year),

volunteering time or skills,

supporting events and fundraising,

engaging openly and positively with the clubs.

We are on the village’s side. We want the Glebelands to remain a thriving, well-managed community asset for generations to come — and that is best achieved through cooperation, transparency, and support for the organisations that maintain it day in, day out.

For information on membership or getting involved, please visit:
? https://www.churcheatoncricketclub.co.uk
? Official ECB records: https://churcheaton.play-cricket.com