Southampton councillors deny they are going to sell of city parks (From This is Hampshire)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
|
|
|
|
Southampton councillors deny they are going to sell of city parks
9:50am Monday 30th November 2009 in
-
- By Matt Smith » Politics and business reporter
TORY council leaders last night moved to allay fears Southampton’s parks were being put up for sale.
Adverts in today’s Daily Echo show the city council is intending to “dispose of a leasehold interest”in a dozen open spaces across the city.
They include Mayfield Park, Riverside Park, Green Park, Hoglands Parks, the Veracity, Lordshill and Millbrook recreation grounds, and the paddling pool at the Common.
Leases in land at the Apline Centre, the municipal golf course, Southampton Sports Centre, and Chamberlayne Leisure Centre are also earmarked for disposal.
Members of the public are being invited to inspect the site plans at the Civic Centre and warned any objections must be lodged, in writing, by January 7.
But the city’s Cabinet member for leisure and culture councillor John Hannides insisted there was no secret plan hatched to sell off the city’s green spaces. He said rather the notices related to a “whole series of decisions”, already taken in public, about the future use of each parcel of land.
The council had decided to publish them together to be “economical”.
Leases in the sites, largely sports pitches and land around leisure centres, will form part of a controversial deal to hand the management of the council’s leisure facilities to a private operator.
He said: “It’s not about the parks being sold. It’s a matter that’s never been given any consideration.”
All the public notices state that “it is intended that the land shall be used as per the existing uses.”
■ To see the notices see page 30 of today's Daily Echo
Comments(13)
southy
says...
10:37am Mon 30 Nov 09
freemantlegirl2
says...
10:39am Mon 30 Nov 09
goard
says...
11:00am Mon 30 Nov 09
angry
goard
Paramjit Bahia
says...
11:54am Mon 30 Nov 09
St.DaveH
says...
12:54pm Mon 30 Nov 09
Can anyone answer who owns our parks and open spaces??? I naturally assumed they belonged to the City and the people of the City.
Judging by the detail of the Echo’s report, I take it that specific areas such as the ski slop etc. are already leased, and provided that access is afforded to the public, I can see no problem with further leases being allowed for community use.
It is clear that historically a good workable strategy for leisure in the city has not worked for any of the recent council boards, and any initiative that had the potential to provide something different should be considered for the good of us all.
We need invention, imagination and the capital investment to ensure we do not continue to stagnate, with leisure, heritage and the arts being the main stays of most successful Cities – the profile is here, so why doesn’t it work?.
Major Sir Jerry Pending
says...
1:17pm Mon 30 Nov 09
You can always rely on the Tories to be economical - economical with the truth that is!
Condor Man
says...
4:25pm Mon 30 Nov 09
as for the leisure facilities, they are a white elephant- time to rationalise and make better use of facilities in the schools which lie empty for 13 weeks of the year.
southy
says...
8:55pm Mon 30 Nov 09
Condor Man wrote:echo made no miss print, one place that i know is going to be giving to a school thats in the public notice, 5 acres. build a new super school so they can build homes on the old school lands.
Surely The Echo should be apologising for misprinting the article in the first place?
as for the leisure facilities, they are a white elephant- time to rationalise and make better use of facilities in the schools which lie empty for 13 weeks of the year.
Biligili
says...
9:24pm Mon 30 Nov 09
Condor Man
says...
9:43pm Mon 30 Nov 09
southy wrote:the new school would surely be a marked improvement on Oaklands and Millbrook- which have failed local kids for generations. Five Acres isn't registered as a park anyway.
Condor Man wrote: Surely The Echo should be apologising for misprinting the article in the first place? as for the leisure facilities, they are a white elephant- time to rationalise and make better use of facilities in the schools which lie empty for 13 weeks of the year.echo made no miss print, one place that i know is going to be giving to a school thats in the public notice, 5 acres. build a new super school so they can build homes on the old school lands.
southy
says...
10:26pm Mon 30 Nov 09
the schools of oakland, millbrook ( brownhill & green lane) there schools are good there is nothing wrong with there buildings at all, whats at fault is the trust. once they build this super school there will be more problems. there be less kids getting pick for school teams well that go's for any type of competion between schools.
weather it be for the the old esso bell prise for science and technologhy to any type of sports, these sort of things keep kids busy and occupied, what is needed is more schools but smaller not bigger. take a look at the problems that the usa gets with there super schools, we are not has bad has them yet but soon will be if we allow those super schools to be built.
southy
says...
1:15pm Tue 1 Dec 09
More News stories
- Vital support
- Skiers clinch gold in championships
- Broadband funding pot
- Thieves raid business compound
- Stepdad's call over phone policy
- Charity theft suspect arrested
- Fire on industrial estate
- Daughter's desperate bid to pay dad's medical bill
- Runners required for relay record
- Temperatures plumb 20 year lows - and snow on the way?
Hoglands Park in the centre of Southampton
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Rudd Gillett says...
9:55am Mon 30 Nov 09