Village green group is ‘confident of victory’ (From Basildon Recorder)
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Vange residents hope status bid will stop land being sold for housing
8:10am Wednesday 1st August 2012 in News
Neil Hart – campaign
CAMPAIGNERS are confident they can stop developers building on land they want to see officially declared a village green.
Protesters from the Vange Community Group turned out in force at a public inquiry into an application to give the site, in Kent View Road, Vange, village green status.
The Basildon Council-owned site is one of several across the borough the council hopes to sell to housebuilders to help recoup the £38million cost of building the Basildon Sporting Village in Glouc-ester Park, Basildon.
The council’s development plan has labeled the Vange land as a suitable place to build 73 homes.
However, if the community group gets its way and Essex County Council grants village green status, the site would be protected from development.
During three-day hearing, campaigners put their case for status to be granted.
Campaign group chairman Neil Hart, a Kent View Road resident for 37 years, said: “I am adamant we will win village green status for the recreation ground.
“I felt it went really well and we put a really strong case forward.
“I feel very confident and almost certain that the land will not be built on. This is something we have been fighting for months.
“More than 120 witness statements have been put forward, stating they couldn’t remember when the land wasn’t open to the public.
“The council has neglected the land and we, the residents, have had to pick up rubbish and take care of it.”
An announcement on the application is expected from County Hall by September. Mr Hart added: “If we don’t succeed in our quest, we will look at appealing and taking the case to court, so a judge can make the final decision.
“We have really come together as a community and will fight this all the way.”
Ward councillor Bryon Taylor, who is also deputy leader of the Labour group on the council, said: “Mr Hart and the campaigners have worked extremely hard and spent a lot of time building a strong case. I think they have a good chance and their community spirit is very admirable.”
Comments(14)
green green grass of home
says...
6:31pm Wed 1 Aug 12
planning/planning-co
mmittee-membership/
Alan Clark the go between for Nottinghamshire council and Basildon Council on the purchase of land at Bowers Gifford it has many finger prints all over it its time the truth came out
Brunning999
says...
7:00pm Wed 1 Aug 12
That's like putting an old persons home in tne Centre reservation of the A127.
green green grass of home
says...
7:06pm Wed 1 Aug 12
bdps66
says...
11:32am Thu 2 Aug 12
The Cater Wood Creeper
says...
12:46pm Thu 2 Aug 12
Is this a bit like the people that campaign to save the village shop but never shop there?
I reckon the people who would have to walk their dogs a bit further to let them crap are more worried about the land being developed than anyone else and as much as I deplore the Council's rapacious greed for development sites it would seem that this open space is little used by kids for playing. Maybe their parents don't want them getting a grass stain on their clothes or their shoes a bit muddy so keep them indoors glued to the playbox wii 360 and ply them with pop and crisps to keep them indoors.
Imagine if Tony Tweedledee Ball and Kevin Tweedledum Blake from the Council were over there looking to see just how used this space is and saw it completely empty as often as I do, they'd be straight on the blower to their Lords and Masters the housing developers....
Use it or lose it!
SpaffSpiff84
says...
2:46pm Thu 2 Aug 12
The Cater Wood Creeper
says...
4:30pm Thu 2 Aug 12
give it 15 years and the only greenery in basildon will be the weeds growing through the pavement
or, give it 15 years and the only greenery in basildon will be the weed growing in people's lofts.....
SpaffSpiff84
says...
6:16pm Thu 2 Aug 12
Trainman
says...
12:22am Fri 3 Aug 12
Look at Dry Street, and how many times planning permission has been sought to RUIN this Beauty Spot with concrete & bricks?
I may not live that way anymore, but I MOST sincerely hope the area is LEFT ALONE.
We ALL know money speaks Many languages, but PLEASE leave some of the Beauty Spots ALONE?
The Cater Wood Creeper
says...
10:55am Fri 3 Aug 12
Trainman wrote:they are too frightened of losing their safe tory seats if they build anywhere in the borough other than Basildon, Billericay is sacred ground so the folk south of the Arterial suffer.....
WHY are Essex County Council SO keen to see every bit of green built on, and with housing? Look at Dry Street, and how many times planning permission has been sought to RUIN this Beauty Spot with concrete & bricks? I may not live that way anymore, but I MOST sincerely hope the area is LEFT ALONE. We ALL know money speaks Many languages, but PLEASE leave some of the Beauty Spots ALONE?
hothead
says...
9:25pm Fri 3 Aug 12
The Cater Wood Creeper wrote:Do you understand the difference between County Council and District Council?
Trainman wrote:they are too frightened of losing their safe tory seats if they build anywhere in the borough other than Basildon, Billericay is sacred ground so the folk south of the Arterial suffer.....
WHY are Essex County Council SO keen to see every bit of green built on, and with housing? Look at Dry Street, and how many times planning permission has been sought to RUIN this Beauty Spot with concrete & bricks? I may not live that way anymore, but I MOST sincerely hope the area is LEFT ALONE. We ALL know money speaks Many languages, but PLEASE leave some of the Beauty Spots ALONE?
hothead
says...
9:27pm Fri 3 Aug 12
The Cater Wood Creeper
says...
12:38pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Ironman says...
8:54am Wed 1 Aug 12
..........