A protest is planned for Tuesday (July 15) against the sale of parts of Woodmill, including the Outdoor Activities Centre, to Southern Water - ahead of the council’s cabinet meeting (item 17) which is due to decide the issue.
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As reported, the council plans to sell the Stoneham side of the Woodmill site to Southern Water, with the utilities company then selling back the activities area to Southampton City Scouts.
The Mill building itself would continue under council ownership and be leased to the company currently running the coffee and paddle board outlets.
The Friends of the Itchen Estuary group is calling for a halt to the process and a “public consultation”.
Chair Gavin Millar said on social media that the recommendation to sell Woodmill had been “made in secret” and had “focused almost entirely on Woodmill leisure activities and budgetary issues”.
Nature restoration and biodiversity were “only very latterly considered”, said the group.
In a more detailed post, Millar described the nature of discussions and decision-making as “highly secretive” denying the “opportunity for the views, the lived experience, and concerns of the people of Southampton to be part of the decision”.
There has also been criticism over the proposal to offer Southern Water the freehold rather than a lease.
The city council has said that it has engaged with stakeholders, that the scouts’ proposal had been backed by “a plethora of environmental organisations”, and that “strong covenants” would limit what the site could be used for. It has also claimed it has to keep commercial details confidential.
The protest is due to take place at 3.30pm outside the Civic Centre, ahead of the cabinet meeting scheduled for 4.30pm.