Protecting our build and natural environment – Identifying Local Green Spaces

Coun Charmaine Morgan says…

Many thanks to those of you who supported my application to stand as a Director of LeisureSK.

This role includes sports and cultural interests with an increasing focus on outdoor activities and use of open spaces for leisure activity.

I am really looking forward to working in partnership with yourselves, LeisureSK members and officers moving forward.

There is lots to do but here are some initial thoughts.

It is important we preserve both our natural and built environment. There are planning tools available to us to do this but they have not been used.

NB: I suspect largely due to a lack of resource in the planning department which has also, historically, had minimal level of support from Conservation Officers, despite the amount of heritage buildings across our District.

1. Designating Local Green Spaces

These are mentioned in the National Planning Policy Framework but I believe an exercise is required to identify those spaces important to our local communities so they can be properly designated and protected from development.

Some of the areas most at risk are near or in our Council Estates. The previous administration undertook an exercise to identify SK owned land that could be used for new builds and much of it meant the loss of open spaces on our existing estates. I am of the view that it does not matter whether you live in a council property, or private property, access to green space is important.

2. Local List – Protecting Local Heritage at risk

An other area of concern is the loss of SKDCs Local List.

This important document listed all of the buildings across our District which are valued by communities e.g. Grantham Hospital would be one.

Unfortunately, recent correspondence with Nicola and Emma indicates that SKDC has not been maintaining, and worse no longer has this list.

It is important for the protection of non-designated buildings i.e. not up to Grade 1 or 2 heritage status but of value otherwise when planning applications come forward. Another example, in my ward, is the Old School Building, Station Road East.

I enquired with our planning dept and was told we are not required to maintain a List now. However, on checking the NPPF there is a clear requirement for LPAs (Local Planning Authorities) to keep such a list even though some improvements have been made more recently to planning regulations. Developers can refer to it prior to submitting planning applications.

NB Conserving Grantham members, of which I was one, used the previous list to help designate St Annes Conservation Area.

Had SKDC included the former St Catherines House, St Catherines Rd Grantham on its Local List (referred to in the body of the text but missing from the actual List in error) the Planning Inspector, when considering the McCarthy & Stone demolition of St Catherines House, would have refused it. He said at the time that St Catherines House was such a lovely building and of such good build quality it was likely to have well outlived any modern construction. He stated that because SKDC had not named the lovely Victorian building on the Local List he could not save it from demolition.