This is taken from the Surrey Comet:

By David Rankin
April 20 2005

'The BBC Sports Ground in Motspur Park is being bought by a millionaire fitness entrepreneur who intends to build a massive cut-price gym and leisure complex.

Ben Dunne, who owns four centres in Dublin and is expanding his empire to London, confirmed this week he is paying the BBC £3million for the Metropolitan Open Land. He hopes to submit a planning application within six months.

Some residents are disappointed the BBC is not selling to the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), which would have helped run the site as a charitable trust and ensured the future of the playing fields, but are happier with Mr Dunne rather than a residential developer.

NPFA director Alison Moore-Gwen said: "We were very excited about this prospect of running the site and had been in touch with local organisations, including youth clubs and football clubs, who wanted to use it. There is no facility for informal recreation, nowhere for 70-year-olds to go for a walk or people to take recreational exercise.

"It is terrible for the locality and I am wondering if we can convince Mr Dunne to open the fields up for public use.

We put in a bid, but it was not accepted. We did not match £3million."

Some residents and councillors are worried the fields will be lost as a community asset, and that traffic in the area will reach unacceptable levels.

Motspur Park resident Ian Bignell, who worked closely with the NPFA when it bid for the 21-acre site, said: "A team from Croydon comes to play cricket and a team comes from Waterloo to play football because it is so convenient. I would certainly not be happy if they were going to dig it up and build on it."

Mr Dunne said he would use about half the site for a 60,000sq ft leisure centre, including hair and beauty salons and fitness facilities, and retain most of the fields, but stressed it would be for members only.

He said: "I would not have bought the site unless I felt we had a good chance of getting planning permission. We think it's a very good place for a fitness centre.

"We will be about half the price of anything comparable in the UK, about £30 to £40 a month."

Residents have been watching the site with trepidation since the BBC sold the adjacent White House to developer Bewley Homes.

Although disappointed that the NPFA's couldn't take control of the land, they were more encouraged by Mr Dunne's bid than other potential options, and hoped to win concessions from the Irish entrepreneur.

Councillor David Fraser said: "I am most worried about traffic in the area, which is already stretched as it is.

"I suppose it is better than building houses but I would certainly hope for some kind of invitation for the local community to participate and that is something we will look at."

The BBC confirmed on Tuesday that it was close to concluding a deal with Mr Dunne.'