Open Spaces Society,(1) Britain’s leading pressure-group for common land,(2) is disappointed that Welsh Ministers have approved plans by Persimmon Homes to swap an area of at Gorseinon, north-west of Swansea.
Persimmon has been permitted to strike 0.71 hectares of common land from the register and use it for development, replacing it with 0.81 hectares of land which the Open Spaces Society and others believe to be inferior. The development is a roundabout to provide access to the new Garden Village.
Applications to exchange common land require the consent of Welsh ministers, via the Planning Inspectorate, in addition to any planning permission. Because there were a number of objections a public inquiry was held in February.
Says Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society:
‘We objected because we believed that Persimmon should have arranged its development to avoid the common, which is a precious asset for the community.
‘Commons are an important, ancient land type, where the public has the right to walk and, on Mynydd Garngoch Common, the right to ride too.
‘We consider that the proposed replacement land is inferior to that to be taken. The current site is visible to local people as they pass it every day on the adjoining roads, whereas the replacement land is hidden away behind a row of houses.
‘The existing land is covered in trees and vegetation, attractive for its landscape qualities and its opportunities for informal recreation and children’s play. The replacement land is just a field, lacking in interesting features. We believe that the public and the neighbourhood will be disadvantaged by the exchange.
‘Unfortunately, the planning inspector, Vicki Hirst, disagreed. She concluded that the public interest or the interest of local people would not be adversely affected.
‘This is disappointing, and we hope that local people will be vigilant, to ensure that the promised mitigation measures are provided, such as access points for walkers and riders.’
Notes
- The Open Spaces Society was founded in 1865 and is Britain’s oldest national conservation body. It campaigns to protect common land, village greens, open spaces and public paths, and people’s right to enjoy them.
- Common land is land subject to rights of common, to graze animals or collect wood for instance, or waste land of the manor not subject to rights. The public has the right to walk on all commons, and to ride on many such as Mynydd Garngoch Common. If common land is used for another purpose, consent must be obtained from the Welsh ministers, either for exchange of common land under section 16 of the Commons Act 2006, as here, or for works on common land under section 38 of the Commons Act 2006.
