I was very surprised to here that the Green Candidate attempted to spread his rumour about the Alfred Sutton playing fields at a recent Council meeting. This was especially surprising since he has now had clear evidence that there are no plans to build on the fields.
Never mind the fact that residents, including myself, successfully fought to have the fields protected in the 1990's. I would have thought that when a Canard is dead you should eat it.
Ho hum. I imagine that he didn't print the reply he got from the Lead Councillor on the issue so I publish it here for your information and interest. Any highlights you see are mine.
Reply to Mr White from Cllr Page
I thank Mr White for his petition but very much regret the mischief-making and scaremongering agenda that lay behind this petition. There is no threat whatsoever to the playing fields.
The Site Allocations Document is now known as the Sites and Detailed Policies Document, and the draft document is to be discussed at this meeting. The Thames Valley University playing fields are not included in the Sites and Detailed Policies Document, and there is therefore no need to remove them. The existing built form of the TVU site, along with the areas used for parking, are included as an allocation primarily for education. Should it not be required for education then the policy does allow for residential, but it is clear, and explicitly stated on page 94 of the latest document that this would not include the adjacent playing fields.
The whole Crescent Road campus, including the playing fields, was included as a candidate site in an earlier consultation version of the Site Allocations Document in 2008, as it had been nominated for development by the University – not the Council. The Council consulted on all of the approximately 100 sites that had been nominated for development, as it is required to do. The document explicitly stated on several occasions that the Council did not necessarily endorse any sites. The playing fields are among a number of sites consulted on in 2008 that are not included in the current draft document.
The Green Party at national level rightly wants science and facts to be the basis of debate and decision making. It is a pity that their local candidate typically prefers to campaign on the basis of spreading false rumours and thereby raising unjustified concerns amongst the local community.
I do hope that this will put the issue to bed, however please remember to ask any Green Campaigner when they knock on your door where they get their information from, and whether the info has been verified by any other source. - I know ask me I am happy to check.
