ANGRY local residents gathered in Sanctuary Park to make voices heard against proposals for 37 homes on a small patch of land close to St John’s cemetery.
Fortis Living plan to demolish an existing house on Hopton Street to gain access to the site and build the homes on roughly half of Sanctuary Park on a field surrounding the Windsor Avenue allotments.
But more than 60 local residents gathered on Saturday (November 24) to protest the plans together with Labour ward councillors Richard Udall and Matthew Lamb.
Planning chiefs deferred their decision on the application in October after new evidence was presented about the risk of flooding should the development go ahead and local residents urged the council to throw the plans out.
Louise Steed, who helped to organise the protest, said “Our community came together to try to save our green space. It’s time to listen to our community and reflect on our needs. Keep our green corridor green”
Tim Schoonenberg added: “This park is a valuable and very well used community asset in a part of St Johns where there is no other like it. It is one of the lungs of Worcester and an important ecological site which is home to a diverse range of wildlife including amphibians and slow worms.
“It was an irresponsible error to include this rich community asset in the South Worcestershire Development Plan, contravening regional, national and international policies.
“The stakeholder consultation process has not worked and the decision to build houses on this land goes against the wish of the local community.”
Another local resident Penny Webb said: “This park is a vital hub of the community, a safe area to walk dogs, and a place to make friends in a world of ever growing isolation. It would be a travesty to see it gone”
While the residents accept the need for more housing, they said piecemeal developments on urban green spaces would only succeed in reducing the quality of life for everyone in the neighbourhood.
“The overwhelming will of the people is clear and obvious, they don’t want this development to happen,” Coun Udall said.
“We support new social housing, but this site is simply not suitable, we need parks and we need to celebrate the local community pride which has been mobilised to save and protect vital open spaces.”
