Land Enclosure

When land at the junction of Trendlewood and Station Road Nailsea was bought and enclosed by a local house owner the torrent of comment reaching's Nailsea Town and North Somerset councillors reached a level we have not seen in years. It is claimed that rather than give the land to the predecessor of North Somerset Council the developer allegedly sold it to the house owner.
Today, Thursday 4th, North Somerset's Central Area Committee unanimously refused to grant planning approval for it to be used as garden. Cllr Jeremy Blatchford also pointed out that as the public have been walking across the land for at least 30 years there are grounds to claim a right of way across it. He also called for the Council to issue a High Court writ of Specific Performance requiring the developer to honour the legal obligation to transfer the land the Council.
Cllr Jan Barber pointed out that the Rotary Club had planted bulbs on it in the past and that local residents had long enjoyed free use of the land. She also called for the solicitor to verify who actually owned the land which North Somerset had been maintaining for over 30 years! Cllr Andy Cole and Cllr Mary Blatchford both spoke against granting the change of use. Andy Cole spoke for many when he expressed concern that once the land became garden there would be another application for another bungalow on the site forthcoming. All were deeply concerned that there was a riding tide of residents trying to seize or buy public open space destroying the much loved openness of the town.

'Planning meetings see several cases each year where the open space is seized and developed. The usual trick is to move a garden fence and hope no one notices then it is used for an extension. These activities destroy the atmosphere of the town and despite all the sob stories we hear about them being for elderly relatives most of the houses extended houses are up for sale within months.' Mary Blatchford said after the meeting.