At last week's meeting of the Local area committee (Monday 18th February) six Lib Dem councillors voted to extend the Point, Eastleigh's Community dance centre further into the Recreation Ground, Eastleigh’s Protected urban green space.
The proposals will allow for the creation of new dance studios, a link building and alterations to existing buildings. 150 square metres of land is to be lost including Sid the Sycamore tree which has been the subject of a major conservation effort by people from Eastleigh.(see http://www.everyoneweb.com/savesid/).
Sid is now a famous tree having featured on Meridian tonight and being available to view on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra-XYQY_Cag
Although Planning regulation 58 BE Urban Greenspace states "The Council will not permit development on a greenspace which is identified on the proposals map, unless as part of a comprehensive redevelopment it is replaced by a greenspace of equal and improved amount, quality and accessibility," the Councillors plan to completely disregard this regulation. The planning proposals also admit that this proposal is "technically not according with the requirements of PPG 17 to retain all public open space." Elsewhere the planning application states "Strictly speaking in accordance with PPG 17 this policy should be applied to all sports and recreational uses such as The Point," but the report goes on to state, "it is not consider
ed that the open space being lost is significant." Currently there are no proposals to give back any land to the people of Eastleigh to replace these 150 square metres because they say that they are improving the area.
ed that the open space being lost is significant." Currently there are no proposals to give back any land to the people of Eastleigh to replace these 150 square metres because they say that they are improving the area.So not only have they broken their own planning rules under 58BE, they have twisted national planning policy PPG 17 to their own ends and, if this was not enough, they have broken major planning rules under PPS 9. This states that trees should not be removed if they “enhance biodiversity in green spaces and among developments so that they are used by wildlife and valued by people, recogni
sing that healthy functional ecosystems can contribute to a better quality of life and add to people’s sense of well being.”
PPS 9 also states that “developments must take account of the role and value of biodiversity in supporting economic diversification and contributing to a high quality environment” and that “if significant harm cannot be prevented to such tree’s, then planning permission should be REFUSED.”
sing that healthy functional ecosystems can contribute to a better quality of life and add to people’s sense of well being.”PPS 9 also states that “developments must take account of the role and value of biodiversity in supporting economic diversification and contributing to a high quality environment” and that “if significant harm cannot be prevented to such tree’s, then planning permission should be REFUSED.”
So our Liberal Democrat Councillors are continuing to break the planning laws of this town They did it on a much bigger scale when they allowed the Pavilion in 
the park to be built on the green fields of the Fleming Park Golf course and they got away with it then. This allowed the Council to sell off the site of the Nightingale Centre for another 30 odd flats and 10 houses. You would think that the miillions of pounds that the council make from selling land (it is reputed to be around £10m for the sale of South Street allotments) would allow them to reduce Council tax and local charges, not put them up further. These Lib. Dem councillors are slowly destroying our town and they must be stopped.
the park to be built on the green fields of the Fleming Park Golf course and they got away with it then. This allowed the Council to sell off the site of the Nightingale Centre for another 30 odd flats and 10 houses. You would think that the miillions of pounds that the council make from selling land (it is reputed to be around £10m for the sale of South Street allotments) would allow them to reduce Council tax and local charges, not put them up further. These Lib. Dem councillors are slowly destroying our town and they must be stopped.If you are concerned about these issues please contact me asap. See more about Sid on : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaOXpRIDOIW.
Pictures of Matthew Myatt and his son in front of Sid and
the six Lib Dem councillors who voted for this plan. Their names are (f
r
om top to bottom)
r
om top to bottom)Councillor Peter Wall (Lib Dem)
Councillor Glynn Davies-Dear (Lib Dem)
Councillor Andy Moore (Lib Dem)
Councillor Wayne Irish (Lib Dem)
Councillor Chris Thomas (Lib Dem)
Councillor Jenny Head (Lib Dem)
.jpg)
1 comment:
There are somewhere in the region of 5000 people waiting for a home on the Eastleigh Homechoice register. So how do the Lib Dems tackle this issue? Well this is what they feel is the best move, as part of the planning application, they allow ‘The Point’ to incorporate in their new build, three self contained 2 bedroom flats for the use of dancers in case they get tired and need to sleep. Yet we are told that these modern flats with over looking balcony’s in to the Recreation ground will only be used for 20 weeks a year. So for 32 weeks, or 7 months, these flats will be EMPTY when the most vulnerable people in Eastleigh who need housing are denied them by this Lib Dem council.
This council is planning to take what is YOUR open green space, and turned it into a commercial business, that if you now wish to sit and read a book in the peace of the shade of Sid you can NOT. Further, to use this space that is YOUR’S, you will now have to PAY to use it. Not just once, but twice.!! Firstly to enter the building to get to the space and second in council tax subsidies that currently run at £320,000.00 a year for the Point. This is based on the current size of the building. If the building becomes bigger and uses more staff and services like water and electricity then the burden on the tax payer will increase.
If this does not make you question if OUR Borough is safe in their hands, then consider that it has come to our attention that now they have gotten away with this highly controversial and environmental rape of OUR land, they have plans to reopen the possibility of building on Grantham Green and Lawn Road Green, after all as one Lib Dem council said, ‘No one can stop us now.”
Well no one but you...In May 2008 say NO MORE..!!
Post a Comment