Crunch time

It's been a stressful week. We had notice that the planners have recommended building on our recreation ground.  

Main blip - the trees on the right would be replaced by a 6, 4 and 3/4-storey blocks in an area of 2 storey homes.  The extra shows the 5-storey Guildhall in the city centre and the university church Great St Marys in the context of similarly tall buildings.

The ward in which the recreation ground lies has the smallest amount of protected green space in the city at 7.55 hectares in total. The rec is only 2 hectares in the second highest populated ward (9000+) building dense and an area of need.

The rec is boundary split between 2 councils - City and district. What person thought to allow that?!  Consequently we received notification of 2 council meetings we can attend to speak for 3 minutes - the culmination of 16 months campaigning and attempting to change their minds on the proposal.

Fortunately the offer of help from a local group who helped in the past arrived again.  So liaising with James via emails and phone we started to plan our 3 minute total, one and a half minutes each statement for both meetings..

Earlier in the week via Twitter, Daniel, (from a group who have successfully won cases in the High Court for malpractice against the very same district council)  informed me that the rec was off next week's planning agenda. He wouldn't disclose how he knew. The district council when I called denied this was the case.

This Friday evening around 6.30pm an email arrived from the district council informing that the rec was not on next week's agenda but would be on a joint city and district planning meeting in August, no date given.  Followed by a similar email from city council.

Someone must have known at the start of the week shortly after informing letters had been sent and they've had several months to get organised.  I cannot help be suspicious. But its a breather and more time to prepare.

I'm shattered this week.

Stay safe.