Greens call for a rethink and say Labour Council’s botched process means plans for sites will fall far short of ambition
Hopes for an ambitious environmental project at the Hollingbury and Waterhall golf sites could be dashed because a botched process left no time to respond to community concerns, Greens have said.
Councillors have been asked to consider the future management of the Hollingbury and Waterhall sites, as the lease for running the golf courses is set to expire on 31st March 2020.
Despite broad public interest in the management of the
sites, Greens say the tight timetable for a decision on the future of the golf
courses has prevented in-depth community involvement, criticising the Labour
Council for conducting a ‘last-minute,’ process.
Questions over the future of the site were raised at a council committee
meeting in June 2019, leaving just months to find suitable leaseholders,
discuss the details and agree a lease.
Greens say that tight application deadlines left community and volunteer-led
organisations with little time to support or submit robust proposals, freezing
out community expertise. Green Councillors have also expressed disappointment
that little time was given to develop an ‘in-house,’ council-led option.
Condemning the lack of consultation, Greens have criticised the Labour Council
for failing to take community concerns into account.
Now, it has been revealed that while a bid has come forward to ‘rewild’ the
Waterhall site, options for Hollingbury Golf Course will now no longer be heard
or scrutinised by TECC Committee, bypassing a key stage in the
decision-making process.
A further attempt by the Greens to strengthen plans for ‘rewilding,’ has also
been rejected, as the terms of the lease of the sites has already been agreed.
Greens have urged the Waterhall bidders
to work with environmental organisations to develop a rewilding project of the
highest standard.
Greens say that failures in the decision-making process represent a ‘huge
missed opportunity,’ to rethink the future of the sites, calling on the Labour
Council to urgently review the decision and allow more time to engage with the
community and bidders.
Councillor Marianna Ebel, who is proposing an amendment on the golf course decision, commented:
“Greens are extremely
disappointed at how the decision over the future of the golf courses has been managed. Options to run the sites were advertised too late and with a bidding period
that was too short, leaving little time for bidders – particularly community
organisations – to submit strong proposals.”
“The public were offered no consultation – and we are concerned that local
wildlife groups such as the Sussex Wildlife Trust, the South Downs Alliance and
the Biosphere Partnership as well as ecologists and wildlife experts were not
been invited to contribute their wealth of knowledge. Too much focus was put on
financial viability, and not enough focus on social and ecological value.”
“Back in June Greens pushed the Labour council to look again at how to use these sites, proposing ‘rewilding’ as an option. We have since seen a massive demand from the public for rewilding for both sites, with a petition calling for this option gathering more than 5000 signatures in less than a month.”
“While we are glad that a bid has come forward to rewild the
Waterhall site, we want to see the public given a greater say over how
rewilding is done. The tender process did not allow communities to share
their thoughts on how this should be managed: but we want to see any rewilding
project conducted to the highest standard. We believe strongly that an
in-depth, year-long, ecological audit is needed so that this is done right.”
“Ultimately, at this late stage, we urge the Labour Council to do more to engage
with the community to get the right result – not rush through such an important
decision.”
Councillor Clare Rainey said:
“These sites have the potential
to offer so much to our local community, wildlife and natural environment. The
Labour Council failed to consult with the community, and the subsequent rushed,
decision making process represents a huge missed opportunity to make the most
of these assets. With the company running the sites operating at a loss, Greens
had pushed the council to commit to a more ambitious vision for Waterhall and
Hollingbury.”
“As it stands, rather than take time to develop the best possible scenario for
all, we are left with a botched process and no clarity over the future of the
Holingbury site. The community will feel as if there are little options left to
raise concerns. We urge the Labour Council to take on board the wishes of the
community, to demand a high standard of rewilding at Waterhall – and to
immediately review the decision on the Hollingbury site, with a pause if
necessary to get it right.”