‘The sound of money drowns out protests’
THE news of an application to build a further 200 homes just outside Baldwins Gate (Sentinel, November 23) suggests that the ‘land grab’ of Newcastle’s green spaces continues apace.
The concerns expressed by residents that roads, schools, and other infrastructure will not be able to cope, are entirely legitimate.
Once again it seems that the din made by a developer rattling bags of money has drowned out the voice of the community.
Last week I joined campaigners from Keele, Bradwell and other communities around the borough where green spaces are under threat to protest outside the meeting at which Newcastle Borough Council debated the strategic option that will inform their Local Plan for housing.
Our message was a clear one – the assault on green spaces in the name of profit is not sustainable and will do serious social and environmental harm if allowed to continue.
That a plan for meeting long-term housing demand is needed is without question, but it must be one that prioritises developing brownfield sites first, combined with repurposing vacant buildings and declining town centres. All these things are possible if a little imagination is applied to the problem.
The dream that everyone can have a ‘home in the country’ is an impossible one, and it is irresponsible on the part of politicians and developers to continue trying to sell it.
What we need to be talking about instead is how we can create good quality urban spaces that are welcoming to human beings and nature alike.
ADAM COLCLOUGH PENKHULL