Winthorpe Estate Residents’ Group call for Newark and Sherwood District Council to freeze all planning applications threatening green spaces

A freeze on all planning applications threatening green spaces is wanted by the Winthorpe Estate Residents’ Group in a challenge to Newark and Sherwood District Council to up-date its Green Space Strategy.

The group’s Facebook page hosts a public post on “the real green space deficit,” which it said amounts to a request to immediately freeze all applications where green spaces are threatened.

It said the council should maintain the freeze until it has an up-to-date Green Space Strategy, enabling cohesion with the National Planning Policy Framework.

The post quotes data from the charity Fields In Trust’s Green Space Index (GSI) analysing Britain’s publicly accessible park and green space provision, which recommends the adoption of local provision levels of 6sq metre of parks and gardens per person and 6sq metre of amenity green space per person, rising to 7.5sq metre per child.

“We believe that green spaces are good, do good and need to be protected for good. Through the GSI we are taking stock of the nation’s quantity of local parks and green spaces and providing analysis on its impact,” the group said.

It said the estate was one of the worst areas lacking in green space per person, with the highest pollution and shortest life expectancy in the district.

“The council has planned for the continuing growth of Newark (and district) and the need to improve existing open space and provide significant new ones,” a district council spokesman said.

“We do not agree to an embargo on applications on open space because it plans to secure significantly improved open space as part of schemes at Bowbridge Road and Kelham Road and other new developments.”

It focused on several positive outcomes following the opening of the Newark Sports and Fitness Centre.

These were the YMCA Community and Activity Village ­— next to the centre on Bowbridge Road that, when complete, will have an athletics track, 3G pitches, community and activity building, tennis courts, multi-use games area, netball and basketball, cycle track and skatepark.

Newark R&M Cricket Club expansion ­— a cricket pitch has been built on a site in council ownership next to the club’s existing Kelham Road ground. New changing facilities are planned.

Land south of Newark, Middlebeck ­— when completed, will deliver 74 hectares of additional open space, including playing pitches.

Land east of Newark ­— must include significant open space,including a country park of 15-20 hectares on the southern slopes of Beacon Hill.

It said it was aware of the group’s concerns around the proposed development of the Cedar Avenue space and any input received would be taken into account in determining the application.

It said: “The area was allocated for around 24 homes in July 2013 but should retain an element of open space and the games area and any planning application will be assessed against these requirements.”