| Topic: | Roehampton Playing Fields - Asset of Community Value | |
| Posted by: | John Cameron | |
| Date/Time: | 09/11/17 11:40:00 |
The notice of issued by the council states that the lease will be for 30 years, so this is in effect a sale of the land to a private operator for the next 30 years. I would suggest that the playing fields should be listed as an Asset of Community Value, (ACV) which they very obviously are. An application could be made (immediately) by an existing community group or by 21(?) local residents, to Wandsworth Council. Wandsworth would be obliged to grant the application for an ACV. Under the ACV regulations a sale by WBC (of the lease) would then have a 6 month moratorium to allow the community group to bring forward their own bid. Listing as an ACV is not a right to buy, it is a right to bid. But it may help in terms of protecting the playing fields as a true community amenity. Listing the 5th Putney Sea Scouts HQ on Putney Embankment (the first ever listing of an ACV by Richmond Council) protected them from Wandsworth's greed, and the recent ACV listing of part of Wandsworth Park (application by the Friends of Wandsworth Park)saved the land being sold to the neighbours so they could extend their large private gardens. In both cases Thamesfield's Conservative Councillors (Ryder and Torrington) stood by and did nothing to support residents, but that's Thamesfield Councillors for you. http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200310/about_the_council/1386/community_right_to_bid |