We need our green spaces

The Sunderland North Area Committee stated in its agenda at the last meeting that we must take advantage of the city’s green spaces as they are essential to the wellbeing of the city residents.

Green spaces provide a facility for people to exercise and enjoy the fresh air and tranquility of a green space away from the noise and bustle of traffic and crowds now being attracted by the second rate seafront developments.

As member of that Committee, I drew this item to fellow councillors attention, but now it would appear that green land is being surveyed and measured by individuals who appear to be assessing how many houses can be bunched together to make up for those which were to built on the seafront.

The current land under survey is to the east of Dovedale Methodist Church an area which was subject to a planning application several years ago by a developer, which was subsequently refused because of access problems.

This latest threat to the last few acres of green land at or near the seafront follows the decision of Sunderland University to sell the former recreational field to the south of The Bents.

Several years ago the city lost its Crowtree Leisure Centre and promised the people of Sunderland that an alternative facility would be provided –to-date this has not happened.

How many more broken promises are we to experience.

Indeed it is up to the electorate to decide as to what they want and it is my experience that although they complain about the council they still vote the same poeple in. Coun George Howe, Fulwell ward