Battle for ‘town green’ status to protect land (From Bournemouth Echo)

Battle for ‘town green’ status to protect land

4:00pm Friday 10th July 2009 in

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Support is growing from residents in Poole to protect the borough’s most precious open spaces by according them “town green” status.

If successful this latest bid would safeguard Baiter and Whitecliff from commercial development, such as the ill-fated Solar Pyramid scheme which caused outrage from residents nearly two years ago.

Submitted by Parkstone Bay Association, it comes hot on the heels of an application to protect Branksome Rec, from action group residents opposed to Poole Football Club’s stadium plans.

The 67-acre harbourside park stretches from Baiter to Whitecliff and is extensively used by residents for a host of recreational and leisure activities.

It has a slipway into Poole Harbour, cycletrack, skatepark, several football pitches, cricket pavilion, children’s playground, cyclepath and is used by everyone from dog walkers to kite flyers, hosts fetes and funfairs.

“Harbourside Park is one of the largest and most intensively used areas of recreational land in Poole,” said David Howard, association chairman.

“In making this application to register it as a Town Green our sole intention is to preclude any future attempt to build upon it or develop any commercial operation.”

He added: “Mindful of the controversy and public ill-feeling generated by the Solar Pyramid fiasco, we sincerely hope the Borough of Poole will join with us in this project and use their best endeavours to effect registration without any delay, thereby protecting this precious open space for the use and enjoyment of all the people of Poole.”

To qualify for town green status, land has to have been used by local people for “lawful sports and pastimes” for 20 years.

It is up to the council to determine the application and there would be a period of time for objections. The licensing committee will make the final decision.

“Any application for town and village greens will be dealt with in accordance with guidance set out in the Commons Act 2006,” said Frank Wenzel, the borough’s licensing principal officer.

“Considering applications of this type can be a lengthy process due to the complex nature of the evidence required.”