8:00am Tuesday 9th February 2010
The Parkstone Bay Association has submitted an application for the green open spaces known as Baiter and Whitecliff Recreation Ground to be designated a town green.
A separate application has been made by residents in Branksome for the recreation ground, which our association has fully supported.
Town green status would ensure that these valuable green open spaces would be protected for all time regardless of what planning conditions future Poole councils would wish to impose on the areas.
Town green status would not prevent the maintenance of these open spaces. It would only prevent any development which would remove green open space from public use.
If our councillors were interested in preserving these green open spaces for future generations they could do what many councils have done throughout the UK – support the application. This would incur a minimal cost of around £3,000.
Unfortunately it would appear that our councillors do not wish to permanently preserve of our green open spaces, and to this end they have engaged a barrister to fight the Branksome Recreation Ground application at a cost which, we are led to believe, could be up to £100,000 (Daily Echo, January 27).
We are told that a decision regarding the application for the popular open spaces of Baiter and Whitecliff will be considered once the Branksome Recreation Ground application is processed.
We do hope that our councillors will not impose more costs on residents by spending up to another £100,000 opposing this application too!
Opposition to these application begs the question: If our councillors do not want to ensure that green open spaces are given maximum protection in law against develop-ment then what plans do they have for them ?
Peter Steer, secretary, Parkstone Bay Association
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