Council Forces Through Plans to Build on Lake Farm and Botwell Common

Last night the Council convened a special Planning Committee at short
notice to force through its plans to build on Lake Farm Country Park and
Botwell Common. The Planning meeting degenerated into near chaos as
information contained in the Council's reports recommending the
development was comprehensively challenged by local residents and local
Labour councillors.

The Councillors heard that there was no need for a new school to be
built on this green belt land as pupil numbers could be catered for in
the new Guru Nanak Free School to be opened later this year in the samee
ward,. In addition a Governor from the new Rosedale Primary School
repeated the Governors' and School Headteacher's offer to expand this
school by a further form to assist in preventing the need to build on
the green belt. It was revealed atht the old Hayes Swimming Pool site
could also accomodate a new 2 form of entry school, thus avoiding the
need to build on Lake Farm and Botwell Common. All this was rejected by
the Conservative councillors on the committee, not one of whom lives in
the Hayes area.

The campaign against this disastrous destruction of our green belt is
now moving on to lobby Boris Johnson to call this planning application
in for him to determine as it flies in the face of his policies to
protect the green belt. I will be joining local residents at 1pm at City
Hall next Tuesday to deliver our letters to him urging him to intervene
to save our park from these local vandal Conservative councillors. Come
and join on Tuesday.

Planning Committee Meeting To Decide on Lake Farm on Tuesday 5th March at 7pm

The Council has convened a Council Planning meeting tomorrow night to
determine its planning application to build on Lake Farm Country Park
and Botwell Common. The Council is seeking to force this application
through despite all the opposition from the local community.Local
residents will be meeting outside the Civic Centre at 6.15 to
demonstrate our opposition to this attack on our local park and green
belt. Come along and join us. The Planning Committee will be held at 7pm
in the main Council Chamber and is open to the public. Come to the
Committee to show your concern at what the council is doing to destroy
our open spaces.