Bungalows ‘will destroy green space’
PETITION AGAINST PLAN TO BUILD ON ‘WELL-USED’ GRASSLAND
HUNDREDS of people signed a petition against plans to build bungalows on land in Gosforth.
Newcastle City Council wants to build six bungalows, a staff unit and an access road on South Gosforth Green next to Ridgewood Gardens.
The houses will be for people with high level care and support needs, with physical disabilities and those with learning disabilities and/or autism.
But residents in the area have launched a petition saying the development will destroy an area of green space that is well used by the community. Gerry Ruddick, who is chairman of the South Gosforth Residents’ Association, met other residents on the land to gather signatures and have a picnic on Saturday. He said: “When I found out what they were doing, I was gobsmacked.
“We got money from the council to plant trees that the children used as goal posts and they want to cut them down. The alley was quite dark so we got money to improve the lighting there. All this beautiful open space will be taken away. There are flats here and people don’t have gardens – it is a wellused space. We have started a petition that has already got around 200 signatures and there are already objections with the planning application as well.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Wendy Taylor said there were better places for the development.
She said: “A number of us have relatives and friends who are touched with autism and we know this section of society are amongst the most discriminated against. The policy of providing this accommodation was one of the few bright spots of this year’s council budget, and it is the right way to treat people with autism as long as this is the right setting for the individual concerned.
“However we believe there are better nearby places available. Most notably the former Jesmond Dene Nursery site which the council is planning to sell off for millions of pounds.”
Councillor Henry Gallagher, who also represents the area, said there is brown-field land throughout the city that could be used.
He added: “Vacant land beside Chillingham Road Metro station is several times the size of South Gosforth Green. Add to that how handy it is for the metro and buses, plus there is an Asda and other shops in the shopping centre across the road, it seems to me to be a perfect site.”
In a report to go in front of Newcastle City Council’s planning committee states: “The proposed development that is subject of this application is justified as a minor departure from national and local planning policies in its contributions to a wide geographical spread of essential supported accommodation for people living with learning disabilities.”