Today, contractors for Connexus housing association began to dig a trench across Sidney Road Green. The land now is a town green which means that it cannot be built on, developed or have any work which is incompatible with its status as being a public open space at all times. The refurbishment of Sandpits Avenue must go ahead but a different location needs to be found for the works compound.
Tracey Huffer said:
“I was very shocked. I was contacted by residents asking what is going on. Once I had finished work for the morning, I rushed to the site.
“Contractors were digging a trench for an electricity cable across the green. I thought “that’s not legal”. Shropshire Council officers confirmed that very quickly. Sidney Road Green has been declared a town green and no work can take place on the site, not even storage. Certainly not digging trenches for electricity cables.”
“The contractors were very friendly and helpful, stopped work and backfilled the trench.
“I don’t understand why this happened. It is three weeks since members of the Southern Planning Committee agreed that the green space at the bottom of Sidney Road and Charlton Rise should be formally declared a town green. The land has since been entered on the register of commons.
“We need urgent discussions with the housing association Connexus before this goes any further. We agreed that this green space would be protected with Connexus a few years ago. The housing association must now stick within the letter of the law and remove everything from the green.
“The refurbishment of social housing on Sandpits Avenue needs to go ahead. The problem is finding space for the storage and welfare cabins that workers need. If we had had discussions with Connexus from the outset, I think we could have sorted something else and avoided these problems.
“Connexus has applied for planning permission for a storage area on the green. Even if that was granted, it could not be implemented. It doesn’t matter who owns the green, a town green is protected from any development whether by the owner or a third party. “
It is clear that under this Government Private Companies can act with impunity regardless of the law. Perhaps The Town Green residents could form a 24 hour watchman rota, or better still crowdfund a CCTV Camera and remove any equipment littering the green illegally by informing the police of the breach and explain that it will be dumped in Sheet Road if they don’t move it.
No quarter should be given to these obdurate and arrogant vandals.