Protests over car park plan
COUNCIL BID TO CONVERT VILLAGE GREEN
A SEASIDE community is up in arms over controversial plans to convert part of a village green into a temporary car park.
Northumberland County Council has applied to Environment Secretary Michael Gove to remove village green status from a strip of land on The Braid in Amble.
The local authority wants to use it for car parking during peak times to help alleviate the town’s traffic problems.
But Terry Barton, a former councillor on Amble Town Council, said the proposals were “ridiculous” because it would split the popular recreation space in two.
The council has applied to de-register a strip of grassland in the centre of The Braid, located adjacent to the access road to the marina and the footpath to the town centre.
As part of the proposal, another piece of land at the south side of the leisure space would instead be registered as a village green.
The status can be awarded to land that has been used for public recreation for more than 20 years, and protects it from development.
But Mr Barton said: “The plans are the most ridiculous suggestion they’ve thought of and is nothing more than a cheap option to solve car parking in Amble. At the moment the status means the council can only use it up to six times a year for things like festivals and kite-flying.
“De-registering it will mean they can use it more. In 12 months, when the public get used to parking there, it’ll be used all the time.”
Mr Barton said The Braid, which was declared a village green in 2008, is popular with families, dog walkers and tourists.
He said: “There are always people walking their dogs and families with their young children. When you start putting traffic with people then it is never a good mix.”
In the planning application, the council said the strip of land was chosen because it provides people with suitable access to the town centre.
It added that the area has been successfully used for temporary parking in recent years for events such as the Amble Puffin Festival.
The application said: “Car parking provision in the town is currently poor.
“This lack of parking is hindering the town’s development and reputation and representation has been made by local people to the county council on several occasions.
“There is therefore a need to increase car parking provision, both for visitors and for those who work in the town.”