Branksome Rec and the town green debate (From Bournemouth Echo)

Branksome Rec and the town green debate

9:00am Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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I read with amazement and, I must admit, some amusement the article entitled Grounds for Concern (Daily Echo, March 9).

Clive Smith of Poole council leisure services proclaims to the world that Branksome Recreation Ground is protected by planning and open space rules, and that town green status might make it difficult for organised football and the circus to find a place on the ground.

Yet he and Cllr Peter Adams wanted to take that space away, give it to a commercial enterprise and build a 2m high wall around a part of it – well knowing that this was against council policy.

This makes his current comments and decisions risible.

It was because of Clive Smith and Cllr Adams that it took so long, and so many meetings, and so much time and money for the planning committee to finally come to a decision in favour of the residents who did not want this to happen.

So far I have not heard of any plans for a consultation meeting with those who live around the Rec before the town green application goes to the licensing committee.

I cannot see why the council thinks it is necessary to employ a barrister when they have (I suppose) a qualified and knowledgeable legal department.

The article does not say that those in favour of the town/village green can write to the council as well as those objecting.

I feel sure that a lot of the members of the Branksome West Residents Association, as well as Friends of Branksome Recreation Ground, will be doing that within the time limit.

Finally, during the summer of 2009, at meetings with Clive Smith and Cllr Adams, as well as BRAG, we were promised that we would be given daffodil bulbs for planting before November.

These, of course, have not yet been seen – another broken promise from the council.

Natalie Rose, chairman, Friends of Branksome Recreation Ground