Issue - meetings

This meeting is due to be pre-scrutinised at a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scheduled to take place on 8^th December 2022.  Any recommendations arising from this subject will be published in a supplementary pack for this meeting.

The Bereavement Services Manager presented a report on the subject of the appropriation of land off Ipsley Church Lane for planning purposes.

Members were advised that the Council had already been granted permission by the Planning Committee for change of use of the land at Ipsley Church Lane for use as a cemetery.  Part of the conditions that had been applied to this planning permission had related to the need for the Council to preserve the biodiversity of the land once it was in use as a cemetery.

The Council had the power, under Section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972, to appropriate land belonging to the authority for planning purposes.  The appropriation of the land was required as it was classified as primary open space.  In order to appropriate the land, the Council had had to advertise locally its intention to do so for a period of two consecutive weeks and this was subject to public consultation.  In this context, the Council had placed three advertisements in the Redditch Standard in September 2022 advertising the authority’s intention to appropriate the land.  The first advert had contained an incorrect email address and therefore the decision had been taken to place an advertisement in the local press for a third week, thereby ensuring that the process was publicised for a longer period of time than was stipulated in the legislation.

A total of 69 objections had been received from the public during this consultation process.  A number of issues had been raised by the public, many of which related to planning considerations, such as issues relating to ground water and highways concerns.  The main point that had been raised by a majority of respondents had related to concerns that there would be a loss of recreational space.  Many respondents had highlighted that they used the land for a range of recreational purposes, including to walk their dogs, sledging, running and for picnics in the summer months.

When considering objections about the loss of recreational space, the Executive Committee was advised that it was important to take into account the availability of other recreational space near to the site and the impact that the appropriation of the land would have on the availability of recreational space locally.  Members were advised that the site itself measured 4.6 hectares.  Within a kilometre of the centre of the site, there was a further 55 hectares of open space, which could be accessed within approximately 600 metres from the site.  The site represented around 8 per cent of the land in that area of the Arrow Valley Park.  In the wider context of the whole of the park, comprising 364 hectares, this site represented just over 1 per cent of the open space available for recreational purposes.

During consideration of this item, reference was made to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s pre-scrutiny of the report at a meeting held on 8^th December 2022.  Concerns had been raised at this meeting that there would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97