Leader’s comments anger town council
COMMENTS made on local radio by North Kesteven District Council’s Leader have inflamed relations with Sleaford Town Council.
District council leader Coun Marion Brighton was heard on Radio Lincolnshire commenting on the town council’s decision to refuse to sell part of the Boston Road Recreation Ground for an access road linking Mareham Lane, Boston Road, the Maltings and the new Tesco store planned for the old Advanta Seeds site.
Mrs Brighton claimed that the decision was at the ‘eleventh hour’ as planning permission had been given two years ago and would jeopardise the regeneration of Sleaford. She insisted the road must go ahead and said her council would be considering their compulsory purchase powers.
The district council’s Corporate Director Karen Bradford said the town council decision undermines Sleaford’s regeneration over the next 25 years, putting over 500 potential new jobs at risk.
But these claims have been hotly contested by the town council, who insisted that they had objected to the plans at the time and had subsequently elected to withdraw permission to sell until further notice in December 2009 because of the amount of land the road would take up and the insistence that Southgate level crossing would have to close.
At last Wednesday’s applications committee, town council leader Coun Brian Watson told members: “I am sure members were aware of the broadcast by Coun Marion Brighton, who made some very serious comments regarding this council and comments that were in fact not true.
“We were all issued a press statement regarding the town council’s decision over the recreation ground and last Friday, with the permission of Mayor Coun John Charlesworth and myself, the clerk delivered a letter to NKDC chief executive Ian Fytche and the Leader and to date we have received no acknowledgement.
“I fear this has blown the relationship apart between this council and the district council.”
Mayor John Charlesworth insisted the town council’s position had not changed since 2008 and they must also address the issue of the covenant on the recreation ground set by the previous owner. He warned that selling some of it off might endanger the whole recreation ground.
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Weather for Sleaford
Thursday 24 May 2012
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