Council ‘improves’ park... by covering it in 60 homes
FURIOUS campaigners battling to stop a council concreting over their park were astounded to be told the plan would ‘improve’ the area.
Inspired by The Mail on Sunday’s Save Our Parks campaign, hundreds of residents are fighting plans to build 60 homes on the ‘wonderful, peaceful’ Wandon Park in Luton that has served their neighbourhood for more than six decades.
Campaigner Cherry Newbery, said: ‘This park is our heritage and should be protected. My children and grandchildren have enjoyed playing here.
‘ The community is united against these plans. We will fight until our last breath to save it.’
Lib Dem councillor David Franks added: ‘When will they stop? When every blade of grass has been concreted over?’
The controversial proposal comes from Foxhall Homes, which is wholly owned by Luton District Council, the Labour- run authority which makes local planning decisions.
Developers have vowed to improve the area by replacing Wandon Park with a larger park nearby, which they say may include sports facilities. But protesters are not persuaded. David Wynn, a retired IT consult- ant, said: ‘This land is already a leisure facility with football pitches and a grass running track. It will be nothing like the wonderful, peaceful park we have now.’
In addition to the loss of green space, campaigners – dubbed the Wandon Warriors – say the plans will create extra traffic and affect wildlife, including bats and deer.
The battle echoes efforts by resi- dents in Liverpool to stop a multimillion- pound development at Calderstones Park, which was thrown out by the High Court this month. Ms Newbery said: ‘We were delighted to see the people of Liverpool win their battle, helped by The Mail on Sunday. We may be smaller but are determined to get the same outcome at Wandon.’
Our campaign demands new rules and investment to protect councilrun parkland, including banning development on the land and setting up a central Government fund to help sites most at risk.
Meanwhile, Labour MP Clive Betts last week demanded to know why t he Government’s Parks Action Group has not met for nine months – and what has happened to its £500,000 funding.