‘Turn park into social housing’

Critics have described the sale of a redundant play park in Canterbury as a “wasted opportunity”.

The city council-owned site at Black Griffin Lane is set to go under the hammer with a guide price of £250,000.

But the move has been criticised by Labour councillor Pip

Hazelton, who argues the plot near the city’s high street should be used for social housing.

“Firstly, I would have preferred it to remain open as a play area,” Cllr Hazelton said.

“But if council finances dictate that it wasn’t financially viable, then why not retain the site and use it for social housing?

“If there’s a policy of building on brownfield sites, the council shouldn’t be wasting the opportunity. There are more than 2,500 people on the housing waiting list - we really should be retaining this site.

“I realise it would only be small, with two houses or four flats, but it would help out local people. It would be doing right by our residents.

“Once you sell off the family jewels, you can’t get them back.”

The council agreed to sell the play area in January 2017, saying the sale “offers a practical and relatively straightforward way to obtain a capital receipt”.

Financial predictions forecast that a refurbishment of the tired play area would cost £40,000.

The old play park site will go under the hammer at a Clive Emson auction on December 13.

Authority leader Ben Fitter-harding has defended the decision to sell the plot.

“The council has an obligation to the taxpayer to get best value and I don’t believe that an uneconomical and small development for social housing here would be in anyone’s best interests,” he said.

“Disposing of it is the best way to help bring in investment and regeneration to the area while bolstering the council’s finances so it can continue to support frontline services and invest in a cleaner, nicer district.”

Cllr Pip Hazelton, pictured at the play park, is opposed to the site’s sale

A lone spring horse previously stood in the play area