The cricket club has indicated that the main reason for erecting this fence is due to incidents of vandalism, dog fouling and littering.
Incidents of vandalism have occurred in the past and the cricket club responded by installing shuttering around the clubhouse.

As someone who has lived in property that backs directly on to Rectory Meadow for almost 12 years, I would like to point out that the incidents now happening are very minor and the idea of installing a fence around the whole of the meadow seems totally disproportionate.

The cricket club says it will leave a gate open but doesn't this defeat the object of putting up a fence in the first place?

Rectory Meadow is not just here for the cricket club but it is a lovely, open, green space in the middle of town, enjoyed by the people of Diss.

I only have to look out of my back window to see families having fun together, people walking their dogs and children playing.

I have walked around the meadow on many occasions and have seen young people playing. Generally they are not troublemakers and they also need somewhere to meet with their friends and play football.

It seems wrong that the cricket club want to ruin the enjoyment and pleasure of this field because of a tiny minority.

The cricket season is only six months of the year and out of those six months, cricket is only played on the pitch for a percentage of that time.

This means that for well over six months, the pitch isn't being used by the cricket club at all.

My fear is that over time, the cricket club will find an excuse to lock the gate and this wonderful green space will be lost forever.

Evan Heasley, Skelton Road, Diss

So, the cricket club wants to tighten its hold on what has been an open space used by the general public for decades.

I see young people, old people, mothers and children enjoying themselves on this meadow – a green lung in the middle of Diss.

The conspiracy to deprive us all began years ago with the local council controversially giving a lease which restricted access to the whole meadow to a selected group, with the rest of us made to feel like trespassers.

A wooden fence installed for this purpose was gradually dismantled in protest.

Now a further challenge is being planned with a fence, aimed at discouraging us, though generously funnelling the persistent few in through a designated gate.

We live by the Rectory Meadow and we would be sad, even angry, to see the meadow turned into a stockade with such an ugly fence.

While I know there are problems at times – and I do actually live here and not just visit occasionally – I know these problems are often exaggerated, seemingly for partisan reasons.

A costly fence? I am sure there must be far less intrusive methods that can be tried before resorting to what I can only describe as possibly legally-authorised but nevertheless cruel vandalism.

Pat Foreman, The Entry, Diss