Protect city open spaces from car parks, urge Greens
3 November 2007
Green Councillors slam plans for new car park forced onto community open space
Green councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council expressed outrage this week as, far from living up to their slogan "Vote Blue, Go Green", the city’s minority Tory administration pushed through plans to turn a popular open space in Marden Close, Woodingdean over to car parking spaces.
At the Council's Planning Applications Sub-Committee (PASC) meeting on 31 October, Tory Committee chair, Cllr Ted Kemble, used his casting vote to over-ride council officials' recommendations to refuse the Woodingdean application [1],
The Sub-Committee had heard from residents that the green is well-used by children for general play, and for football, which Tory Cllr Dee Simson described as a "social problem".
In what the Greens say is an astonishing demonstration of the Conservatives' commitment to putting cars before people, permission was granted for ten hard landscaped parking spaces on this well-used open space.
Cllr Amy Kennedy, Green Group Spokesperson for Planning & the Built Environment, expressed dismay after the meeting: "I’m absolutely astounded that the Tories have used their majority on the PASC to force this unpopular and damaging proposal through.
"The council’s Traffic Officers advised the Sub-Committee that ten new parking spaces on this site would actually be the least appropriate method of managing local car parking demand.
“They also stated that these new parking bays would present a significant danger to pedestrians and other road users because of the additional stopping, turning and reversing that will occur.
"Nevertheless, the Tories went ahead and pushed this through anyway. This is the beginning of a return to the bad old days of forty or fifty years ago when city planning was based upon the car taking precedence over pedestrians.
"Given that the Tories have already stated their commitment to digging up city centre green spaces such as Victoria Gardens and Hove Lawns in order to build underground parking, this is surely the thin end of the wedge, and sets an unwelcome precedent for other community open spaces in the city. Green Councillors will work hard to fight these developments at every turn."
Notes to editors:
[1] Application no BH2007/01074, affecting Marden Close and Langley Crescent, Woodingdean. The application can be viewed online athttp://www.brightonhove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1133441&action=SearchByFilter
Journalists for more information please contact Lizzie Deane Brighton & Hove Green Party Press Officer on 07899 843206.
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