Save Our Parks! Southampton Independents Works With Sports Clubs and Residents

Southampton Independents Councillor for Redbridge Ward Andrew Pope says:

Councillor Andrew Pope

"We work hard to support our local sports clubs, but they have to operate within the rules of local authorities. This includes planning rules and building control. 

This is for safety and to balance uses between all park users. Sports clubs also need to be considerate of local residents and local residents need to be considerate of other park users. We try to help both.

Millbrook Rugby Club at Five Acres listened when we said to them a permanent solid fence around their ground would not be acceptable to residents. We enjoy a constructive dialogue with them, and are happy to see their tubular fencing, as already at Bush Hill FC that I suggested to them, is planned for this Summer. But any more solid fencing would have been unacceptable. They listened and acted to compromise with residents and to ensure fairness with other sports clubs like Bush Hill.

Bush Hill FC listened years ago when I said the same to them, because residents had concerns about their plans. Sadly they have gone back on this since, and we are opposing their 7 foot solid metal fence and plans for gates etc. We hope they will consider alternatives and we will listen if they do. We hope they will compromise. 

However, some residents have told us that they have felt intimidated into not objecting to these plans by a vocal minority of people associated with the Saints Pub and Bush Hill FC. This is unacceptable and we have contacted the Council and the Police. We encourage anybody to contact the Police if they feel this way. In fact there have been attempts to intimidate me. It is unacceptable.

Also recently we have seen a new planning application by Queens Keep FC for a car park, hospitality building and so on, on Five Acres.

We will have a look at it in more detail, and talk to other residents and park users, but it looks like it will take more public park away.

The authorities looked at the shanty town "building" by Queens Keep FC. It was deemed by them unacceptable (see photos below) in terms of safety. It was also a flagrant breach of planning rules on our park. Have a look below for yourself!

They did not apply for planning permission until I brought it to the attention of the Council, having been contacted by residents who felt unsafe and unhappy.

Thanks to my objection, Denise Wyatt's objection and residents' help, and the right decision by the Council, we got permission refused.

We have been totally consistent for all sports clubs. We believe in fairness. We want to help our local sports clubs succeed, but it has to be within the wider community and within the rules.

And we have pledged to protect our parks and open spaces. Because residents asked us to.

We have to, because our parks are under threat. Just look at all the development on Barker Mill land and how much of Five Acres has been taken away. 

Barker Mill took Test Valley Borough Council through the courts recently because they did not agree with the Council enforcing its planning rules. Labour-run Southampton City Council supported the developments, despite not asking residents for their views. I objected to the developments, despite only being given very short notice.

These developments and proposals by Barker Mill, the Labour-run Council and others are putting pressure on our parks to be built upon. The Labour Council wanted to build on Mansel Park and Green Park, until we worked with residents who told them to stop at a public meeting at All Saints Church in 2016. 

The Labour Councillor who chaired the "Regeneration" meeting was booed by residents at the Public Meeting because she (Councillor Cathie McEwing) accused them in the meeting of not caring about our area by asking where they had been. They had told the Council not to build on our parks. And they repeated this at the meeting.

"These are the people's parks" they said at the public meeting. But the Labour councillors wanted to build on them. Do they still want to build on them? Ask them.

In Cathie McEwing's Labour election leaflet, she claims to want housing, but her chairing the Regeneration meetings for three years has only resulted in one public meeting. And that was because Denise Wyatt and I pressured for residents to have their say.

And the Regeneration has resulted in ZERO Council houses. 

Cathie McEwing's chairmanship is like her performance as a councillor - resulting in nothing but talk.

Labour has only built 87 Council homes in entire City in SIX YEARS. So McEwing's promises and Labour's promises on housing are empty. 

They wanted to build on our parks, not protect them.

Residents said no to Labour's plans.

We want to see more Council homes for local people but not built on our parks.

Residents do care about our parks. 

Residents tell us that if things go on like this, with more parts of our parks repeatedly being taken away piece-by-piece, they fear that there will be no parks left for the public to enjoy.

We stand with local sports clubs and with residents, and encourage dialogue with us and with them, to achieve compromise and maintain our area being a great place to live."

VOTE SOUTHAMPTON INDEPENDENTS ON 3RD MAY FOR A POSITIVE FUTURE, NOT MORE LABOUR FAILURE ON OUR PARKS

Redbridge Wharf Park - also under threat by Labour councillors

Southampton Independents Protects Parks That Labour Threatens

Redbridge Ward Council Candidate Denise Wyatt
in Mansel Park the park nearest where she lives

Millbrook Ward Council Candidate Ed Edworthy
in Mansel Park the park nearest where he lives

Since Southampton Independents was being formed a few years ago, residents asked us to protect parks and open spaces.

Working hand in glove with local residents, Councillor Andrew Pope and Denise Wyatt have done that.

We have:

• Got to know and supported sports clubs across the Millbrook, Maybush and Redbridge area. This includes Bush Hill FC, Queens Keep FC, Millbrook Rugby Club, Travellers Cricket Club and even the Petanque Club at Five Acres (despite some former Liberal Democrats being involved with it!).
• When a group of residents raised concerns about the new pitch by Bush Hill FC on Mansel Park, Councillor Pope spoke to over a hundred local residents about their views. Following listening to them, Councillor Pope raised those concerns with Bush Hill FC. He also publicly offered, via the Daily Echo, to broker talks between residents opposed to it. Andrew sought assurances from the manager of Bush Hill FC, about concerns relating to parking and road safety. Later, Cllr Pope also raised the prospect of progression by Bush Hill FC with the manager,and any potential issues with their lease of the public park and its impact on local residents. Cllr Pope made it clear that Bush Hill FC have a LEASE on a PUBLIC PARK, and that it must remain a public park. And Cllr Pope did not object and sought residents' views on the new pitch in order to obtain compromises. A compromise was a tubular fence around the pitch, not a solid metal one. Bush Hill FC agreed. Cllr Pope therefore did not object to the new pitch and the tubular fence. For more on this, see our separate article on the new planning application for a 7 foot high solid metal fence.
• Andrew and Denise listened to Millbrook Rugby Club's proposals for an improved roof on their existing pavilion, and their open fence around their pitch at Five Acres. We were very clear that we would NOT support permanent or fixed solid fencing, and would have objected if the Rugby Club had proceeded with this. However, they listened to our suggestion of tubular fencing, as Cllr Pope and Denise said they needed to be consistent with Bush Hill FC. We actually supported Millbrook's application. And we applaud this type of engagement by the sports clubs and we continue to enjoy a constructive dialogue with the Rugby Club.
• Fought and stopped Labour-run Council plans to build on our parks with their hated "Regeneration". They wanted to build on Mansel Park and Green Park. We enabled residents to fight back, including securing a public meeting at All Saints Church Hall in early 2016. Councillor Pope had to fight hard against Labour councillors who did not want the public to have their say at a public meeting. Denise Wyatt actually stood up and pushed for the residents to have their say. The Chair of the meeting, Councillor Cathie McEwing, said to the hundred or so residents "Where were you before?". Residents said they had objected but they had been ignored by Labour. And they booed Labour Councillor McEwing for trying to make the meeting only one hour. The Regeneration was scrapped as reported by the Daily Echo. Labour Councillor McEwing is seeking your vote and re-election on 3rd May. TIME TO GO. VOTE MCEWING OUT AND DENISE WYATT SOUTHAMPTON INDEPENDENTS IN HER PLACE!
• Fought to protect our public parks - Mansel Park, Green Park and Five Acres (Lordshill Rec) to protect it from development. These are public parks, but in recent years more and more has been lost to private clubs, schools and companies. 
• Worked with local residents to get the Council to list ALL THREE parks as "Assets of Community Value". This added protection of parks against new changes of use.
• Got the Labour Council and Network Rail's plans REFUSED for removal of some of Redbridge Wharf Park. The two Redbridge Labour councillors actually SUPPORTED removal of this park, writing to the Council planning officer in emails supporting the proposal. We have copies of their emails.

Redbridge Wharf Park which the Labour Council
and Network Rail STILL want to decimate

Southampton Independents has delivered on our promises to protect our parks and open spaces.

But the Labour-run Council has put our parks at risk, repeatedly. And the Labour Council and Labour councillors are still at it, despite residents being clear THAT WE WANT OUR PARKS PROTECTED.

The two Labour Redbridge ward councillors Cathie McEwing and Lee Whitbread actually SUPPORTED the removal of public park and building on public park.  Not just once, but repeatedly. We have the proof. They can deny it all they like but we have the proof, in writing.

Labour councillors have also voted to remove one of the Mansel Park play areas. Why? Who asked them to? Did you?

This Labour Council does not want to listen to residents. The Redbridge Labour councillors don't either. 

Southampton Independents have listened to residents.

They know who protects their parks.

We do.

And we will have to continue to do so, because it appears that Labour is doing things secretly, behind closed doors.

Why? Ask the Labour councillors. Here are their email addresses:

councillor.c.mcewing@southampton.gov.uk

councillor.l.whitbread@southampton.gov.uk

Here is our email address:

sotonindies@gmail.com

Tell us.

Do you want our parks to be carved up for private clubs and private companies?

Or do you want our parks and open spaces to be protected for future generations?

Please contact us to let us know how you support what we have done for Millbrook, Maybush and Redbridge.

And on 3rd May, please VOTE SOUTHAMPTON INDEPENDENTS on 3rd May - Denise in Redbridge ward, and Ed in Millbrook ward.

UPDATED: Southampton Labour's (SECOND) Attack on Our Park

Redbridge Wharf Park

Neglected Maintenance by the Council

The Plaque Showing the Park Was Given
to the People of Southampton

UPDATE (30th November 2017): Leader of Southampton Independents Denise Wyatt has objected to the new planning application. Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope has also objected. We have been thanked again by local residents for being pro-active and fighting for them.

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Park land that was given to the people of Southampton at Redbridge Wharf Park, is now being flogged off by Southampton City Council in a grubby deal with Network Rail. Yet another daft idea by Southampton Labour "running" the Council.

NEW Council Bid to Sell and Remove Redbridge Wharf Park Land Near You and Increase Light, Noise and Diesel Train Pollution

We wrote to Redbridge residents in August following our victory in defeating Southampton Labour’s terrible plans to remove park land at Redbridge Wharf Park. If you remember, Southampton Independents stood up for residents because they asked us to. We acted.

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope represented you and objected to the plans, forcing them before the public planning panel. At the public meeting on Tuesday 1st August, Councillor Pope and Leader of Southampton Independents Denise Wyatt spoke up for local residents who objected. WE WON. IT WAS REFUSED. But it isn’t over yet… They’re back.

If it hadn’t been for Southampton Independents, the Labour Council would have pushed it through, against your wishes. Residents tell us: “Labour is killing our area and Southampton”.

Shamefully, the two Labour councillors for Redbridge did not stand up for you. They actually supported the Labour Council’s proposals (what a surprise!). They said in emails:

“I’m happy to accept the proposal” (Redbridge Labour Councillor Cathie McEwing)
“I second the comments from my colleague Cllr McEwing.” (Labour Councillor Lee Whitbread)

If you saw one of our previous letters that we delivered to residents of roads near to Redbridge Wharf Park, we warned of Network Rail and the Council’s plan to increase rail freight, remove park land and to increase light, noise and air pollution for residents. It is bad enough already.

There is ANOTHER planning application. Please object to the planning application.

It is online at: https://planningpublicaccess.southampton.gov.uk/online-applications/

And the planning reference is 17/02368/FUL “Change of use of land from open space and landscaping into operational railway use and construction of new railway sidings, with associated works and proposed change of use of Network Rail land to public open space (resubmission 15/00306/FUL)”.

Or you can write to: Planning, Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, SO14 7LS

If you need any assistance, please get in touch at the details on the left.

We will be objecting. We will keep you updated. Please inform us of your objections.

Denise Wyatt, Leader, Southampton Independents
Councillor Andrew Pope, Councillor for Redbridge Ward, Southampton City Council

CAMPAIGN VICTORY: We Stop Redbridge Labour Councillors Bid to Remove Park Land and Annoy Residents

Redbridge Wharf Park

VICTORY: We Defeat Council Bid to Sell and Remove Redbridge Wharf Park Land Near You and Increase Light, Noise and Diesel Train Pollution 

Another victory for Southampton Independents, working with residents who objected to the Labour Council's plans with Network Rail and ABP. We opposed their plans and have defeated them.

The Labour councillors for Redbridge McEwing and Whitbread did not stand up for you. Labour supported the Labour Council proposals. They said in emails to Council officers:

“I’m happy to accept the proposal” (Labour Councillor Cathie McEwing)
“I second the comments from my colleague Cllr McEwing.” (Labour Councillor Lee Whitbread)

If you saw our previous letter that we delivered to residents of roads near to Redbridge Wharf Park, we warned that Network Rail and the Council’s plan to increase rail freight, remove park land and to increase light, noise and air pollution for residents. It is bad enough already.

Around 180 trees would have been removed. No noise barrier would have been erected. Network Rail wanted 24-hour working during construction. And the Council ignored our suggestions for improving heritage and park land nearby.

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope

Southampton Independents Councillor for Redbridge, Andrew Pope (above), objected to the plans.

He ordered the plans to come before a public planning panel so that Southampton Independents and residents could speak up. Otherwise the Labour Council would have approved them against your wishes.

Southampton Independents Leader Denise Wyatt

At the public meeting on Tuesday 1st August, Councillor Pope and Leader of Southampton Independents, Denise Wyatt, spoke up for local residents who objected.

We won! It was refused. 

The Council, Network Rail and ABP wanted to ignore residents. We didn’t let them ignore you.

Be warned – Network Rail are likely to COME BACK with another plan.

Tell us if you hear anything and we will keep you informed.

Thanks for working with us to win, working with you.

Vote for Denise Wyatt to become a Redbridge Councillor in May 2018. Vote Labour out! It’s time for change.