A week today, the Southern Planning Committee will meet in Shirehall to discuss controversial applications, including the Greete and Ledwyche solar farms and a housing development at Albrighton. Also up for a decision is a proposal to declare Sidney Road Green a town green. I expect this to be a formality as there is no controversy about the designation.
Connexus told Ludlow Town Council it would not to pursue development – the site has planning permission for five bungalows – in October 2019. Two months later, Tracey Huffer and I met with the chief executive of Connexus and proposed that the green should be designated a town green, a status that means it can never be built on without applying to the courts, which are unlikely to give permission.
One the space is designated, Connexus intend to transfer the land to Ludlow Town Council for the sum of £1.
Tracey Huffer is the Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow East, including Sidney Road Green. She says:
“I am really pleased that this saga is coming to an end after six years. The green on is an important open space for Ludlow and is part of the gateway into the town from the east. It is really valued by people who live nearby and people who stroll across it on the way in and out of town.
“I hope that Ludlow Town Council will consider planting new trees and allowing some areas to grow as a wildflower meadow. I’d like to thank Connexus for protecting the green and the town council for agreeing to take ownership.”
The battle to save the green space and its trees began in October 2016 when South Shropshire Housing Group (now part of Connexus) sent in contractors to cut down the two very fine Norway Maples. After a quick intervention, one tree was saved. The housing association claimed it was only trying to cut costs for residents. I said I thought they were preparing the site for development. That proved to be right. The following March, plans for submitted for seven bungalows on the green. Fearing that the second Norway Maple might be felled, Shropshire Council issued tree protection orders for the remaining trees. In June, South Shropshire Housing submitted new plans for five bungalows after a detailed examination of where sewers ran under the site. In August, the South Planning Committee threw the plans out. But, alas, very similar plans were submitted in November. This application took eleven months to get to the planning committee. The result was the same. The application was thrown out again. But a planning inspector gave the application permission in June 2019. That permission expired in June this year.
Connexus have applied to designate Sidney Road Green as a town green under a procedure under which a landowner can apply for the designation. There is no requirement for evidence to be collected or for a public inquiry before the decision, as is the cases with contested town green applications. All the statutory criteria for voluntary registration under the 2006 Commons Act and subsequent regulations have been met by Connexus. That means that registration of the land as a town green is mandatory and the committee can’t turn down the application, except in the unlikely event of the members rejecting the legal advice they have been given.
Town green status will also ensure that utilities have access to the extensive network of sewers, drainage and electricity services which lie under the green.
Once the land is transferred, Ludlow Town Council is expected to decide on the maintenance regime and any planting, including a replacement for the Norway Maple that was felled in October 2016.
