Our precious public open spaces are coming under increasing threat
ONE of the great things about living in Derbyshire is our fabulous countryside that we have across the county. Whether I am walking alongside the Erewash Canal or hiking in the Peak District, I always think how lucky I am to live in an area that has such natural beauty.
Apart from the obvious environmental benefits, public open spaces, such as Victoria Park and West Park in Erewash, are havens that promote our physical and mental wellbeing, offering spaces for recreation, exercise, and relaxation.
As readers will know, I first became involved in politics because of a community campaign to prevent a motorway service station from being built on huge swathes of greenbelt land.
However, our precious public open spaces are coming under increasing threat, notably here in Erewash where the Labour-controlled borough council are set to sell off large portions of public open spaces, including green belt land.
A number of years on since my first campaign, I am increasingly concerned about the future of Erewash’s open spaces, specifically the public land which encompasses the former Pewit Golf Course in Ilkeston.
Since entering office in May 2023, Labour-controlled Erewash Borough Council has made a catalogue of poor decisions behind the closed doors of the town hall, without any form of public consultation.
The most recent is the executive committee’s anti-democratic, unilateral decision to press ahead with the sale of seven acres of public land at the former Pewit Golf Course in Ilkeston, with the intention of using the seven acres of land for homes.
The land in question was originally acquired by the Ilkeston Corporation for the public good – it has been used for that purpose for over a century. Although most recently being enjoyed by local golfers, in the last few years, the Pewit site was significantly underutilised.
The previous Conservative-run Erewash Borough Council had planned to transform the site into a nature reserve, using part of the Government’s £2.8 million Shared Prosperity Fund grant. This would have safeguarded the future of the public open space.
Unfortunately, since Labour have taken control of the borough council, they have shelved the original plans and are now attempting to fast track the sale of seven acres of the public land which has not even been scrutinised by the full borough council.
At the time of writing, I am about to attend a borough council scrutiny committee hearing. Along with local campaigners and councillors, I will show my support for the “calling in” application, which, if approved, would at least allow all the borough councillors to vote on the future of the Pewit site.
Whatever the decision, the borough council executives have played their hand, have bypassed elected councillors and have unilaterally agreed to sell swaths of Erewash’s public open space.
I am concerned that the executive committee will continue to bypass elected representatives and make decisions that will further harm the borough.
My fear going forward is that other public open space, such as West Park and Victoria Park, may be the borough council’s next target. I will not let this happen.
These open spaces are enjoyed by many readers and have been part of our area’s identity for decades. I will continue to do everything in my power to stand up and safeguard Erewash’s public open spaces.
The land in question was originally acquired by the Ilkeston Corporation for the public good – it has been used for that purpose for over a century.