Protect green spaces in development plans - Lib Dems

5.52.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Jul 2008

Liberal Democrat campaigner Chris Nelson is concerned about the loss of green space close to Barton Seagrave and the Ise Lodge estate

Kettering Borough Council should take action to protect green space near the Ise Lodge and Barton Seagrave as a way of protecting community identity, campaigners have urged.

The call comes as the authority's Planning Policy Committee prepares to consider the principles on which new development planned for the east of Kettering should be assessed. This process is being conducted whilst a planning application for 5,500 homes on the site waits to be determined.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson and Ise Lodge resident Chris Nelson said, "While all areas of Kettering are concerned about making sure that new roads and infrastructure are up to scratch, residents of the Ise Lodge and Barton Seagrave are increasingly concerned about the prospect of these unique communities being swallowed up by a big East Kettering development."

"As one of the most densely populated areas of our town, space on the Ise Lodge is already at a premium. The fields that are proposed for development provides a valuable community amenity; an amenity that needs to be preserved."

"While the government continues to force house-building upon us these fields cannot be entirely saved. But we can come to a compromise that protects both this amenity and community identities, by insisting on a 'green corridor' of space between existing estates and new developments that would be available for recreational use."

"These 'green corridor' principles work for Cranford, Warkton and other nearby communities. Spreading this practice to the East Kettering development would be a sensible and achievable way of preserving our quality of life and should be given serious consideration."

ENDS

Notes:

1. A paper discussing some of the core principles on which planning applications for the East Kettering site are to be assessed is to be discussed by the Planning Policy Committee tonight on 2nd July. A copy of these papers can be viewed here, under agenda item 1: http://www.kettering.gov.uk/site/scripts/meetings_info.php?meetingID=599.

2. The use of "green corridor" principles is implemented in the North Northamptonshire Core Spatial Strategy to protect certain villages and towns from merging, in an effort designed to protect community identities. The strategy can be accessed here: http://www.nndev.co.uk/downloads/NN_CSS.pdf.

3. There have been a number of efforts made by residents groups to protect green space on the Ise Lodge and in Barton Seagrave. A recent example is the ongoing application by the Poplars Farm Action Group to establish the field neighbouring Poplars Farm Road as a Village Green: http://www.pfag.org.uk/index.htm.

4. In 2001 and 2002, a successful campaign was fought by Ise Lodge residents to prevent the sale by the (then) Labour-run Kettering Borough Council of a parcel of green space on St Johns Road, bordering Warkton Spinney.