Residents were out in force on Monday evening (June 5) to show their opposition to Sovereign Housing Association’s plans to build 84 dwellings on the former St Mary’s School playing fields.

 

 

As the proposals inch their way through the planning process, it was estimated well over 100 locals of all ages – including children in masks depicting wildlife said to use the green space – gathered for a photocall at the top of Monastery Road.

Former Conservative ward councillor David Fuller, who said he’s been assisting the committee campaigning against the plans for six months, said they had a number of reasons to oppose them.

These included pressures on local roads, and the loss of one of the last green spaces on the east of the city that isn’t a public park.

“It’s not going to work in my opinion,” he told bitternepark.info.

“These are small residential roads. We see collapses of the sewers in Beech Avenue quite frequently as it is. Add in 40-tonne trucks, cement mixers, piling rigs: that’s going to fall apart, that road.”

“I think it’s a vital green lung for our city,” he added. “The council talks about its green city strategy all the time, talks about its obesity strategy … building on playing pitches is the exact opposite of that. What we’re doing is concreting over a lovely field that’s providing a much needed urban wildlife haven, if you will, for this side of the city, plus taking lots of nasty stuff out of the atmosphere, and providing a break in housing.”

While the land isn’t owned by the council, Fuller said he believed there could be scope for it to become “some sort of community facility” if plans were rejected.

“If I was leader of the council I’d be looking to say here’s an opportunity for the first time in probably 100 years to increase public green space in this city. And that would be a fantastic thing for everybody wouldn’t it?”

But some discussing the scheme on social media stressed the need for more housing.

Laura Wynter wrote: “I live locally (have my whole life) and am happy to see more social housing being planned, the housing crisis is Critical!!

“It’s not as if it’s a space that everyone uses, it’s not been a public green space for however many years anyway!

“The generation of today don’t have the privilege of being able to buy houses for £3k like our grandparents did, cheap mortgages ect [sic]. Social housing is a must!!!”

David Fuller agreed that there is pressure to build more social housing, but said the council should be talking to Sovereign about using “empty” sites such as Townhill Park.

Kevin, a local resident on the committee opposing the development, said he thought 187 people had submitted “fierce” objections to the application.

“I’ve estimated there are over 120 people here, and that is just to take part in our group photograph,” he said. “The purpose of having a photograph is to visually show how many people object to this application.”

He said the group has some very strong arguments, but essentially it’s about the impact on the green space, that he said young people from local schools have used for “the last 100 years”. He also agreed more housing is needed, but said nearby brownfield sites should be used in preference.

A Sovereign spokesperson told bitternepark.info last summer: “We are are committed to building the right homes in the right places, and we’re looking forward to transforming this disused former playing field into a characterful and sustainable development with new and inviting open spaces.”