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Parklands Residents’ Association |
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Stage 1 –
Permission to sell the site Extraordinary meeting held in
Parklands Community Centre on The first community meeting to discuss
the proposed disposal of the NSG East site was held on 28 February. Letter sent to NCC on Click HERE
to read the first letter of objection submitted to Northamptonshire County
Council by the chair of the Parklands Residents’ Association. Response received from NCC on Click HERE
to read the County Councils response to the letter of objection submitted on
21 March. Letter sent to NCC on Click HERE
to read the second letter of objection submitted to Northamptonshire County
Council by the chair of the Parklands Residents’ Association. Response received from NCC on Click HERE
to read the County Councils response to the letter of objection submitted on
18 May. Section 77 Application The formal application to dispose of the
playing fields at As of of the site has been made by the DFES On Department for Education and Skills As part of this application, NCC were required to formally consult with all known users of
the playing fields before applying for permission to sell them. Following our recent village green survey,
we have been able to advise DfES of a number of
instances where this has not happened, including Parklands Tigers Football Club 27th Parklands and Eastfield
District Rainbows, Brownies, and Guides This sustained lack of consultation is
NOT ACCEPTABLE - to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, for this to happen to one group
(PTFC) would be unfortunate, two groups (N&D Scouts) could be considered
careless, but for three community groups who have all used the land for many
years not to be consulted… We have therefore complained about this
lack of consultation to the DfES, who are taking
the matter up with NCC. Should this
matter not be concluded in a satisfactory manner, the next course of action
will be to seek a Judicial Review. Schools Advisory Panel Review The Section 77 Application to the
Secretary of State to permit development on the site went before the Schools
Advisory Panel in November 2007. The
panel chose not to support the application and had contacted NCC for more
information. Following
comment by NCC, the application went back to the panel on 24 January – The
residents Association wrote to each member of the panel individually (copy HERE),
outlining local concerns and to advise that the applicant has presented
evidence of a number of formal, authorised users of the playing fields in a
village green application, whilst simultaneously claiming there are no
formal, authorised users in the section 77 application for the same land. Despite our best endeavours, at this
meeting the panel members chose to support the application. DfES have not
confirmed that the panel were provided with or considered the evidence
provided by a QC (acting on behalf of NCC) regarding authorised users who had
not been consulted. In anticipation of
a Judicial Review of any decision, we have made a formal request under the
Freedom of Information act, for copies of all materials relating to the
investigation of these allegations by the DCSF, and the outcome of those
investigations. Secretary of State’s Decision Sally Keeble
MP had arranged a meeting for a representative from the Residents’
Association to lobby Paul Clark MP.
Paul Clark is the Private Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of
State for As of |
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