One of the most compelling reasons that residents tell me that they love living in Meir Park is the plethora of open space around the estate. Originally designed in the 1970s as a 'garden village', one of the design features of the evolving estate has been the wide verges and open plan nature of the 'mini estates' within it. Over the years, this has been tested even up to national Planning Inspectorate level, and backed locally by the City Council.
However, one weakness of the precedent has been that some of these larger open spaces have remained in private hands. In some cases, the owners are not interested in quibbling over them and in others, residents have stepped in to buy small parcels. On occasion, the 'sale' of these parcels of land has been carried out in a less than pleasant way, suggesting potential development, and sometimes causing concern to residents that, should they not step up to buy them, that inappropriate development might take place.
Land at Canberra Crescent is one of the most high profile of these cases - changing hands several times over the years, often at distant auctions, with the vague promise of 'development potential'. However in reality there is no planning permission on this site, and a succession of potential investors have been parted with their cash in the belief that there was, having not done their due diligence. Sadly, they have left a trail of destruction in their wake also - a number of trees were chopped down in October 2024 with no notice given to nearby residents, and questionable health and safety measures taken whilst the work was underway. Another owner has tried to fence off the area, having failed to seek planning permission first, and now facing potential enforcement action.
Meanwhile, residents are left to deal with the aftermath of this - what was previously a lovely open space area, well used and in keeping with the original design of Meir Park is now increasingly overgrown and dangerous, and at the centre of a Village Green debate.
We are currently awaiting a date to be set for the non-statutory public inquiry to determine the outcome of our application.
