Fight to get green space protected

A determined community group is fighting to officially protect a green space from being built on.

The Friends of Batley Carr Community Green attended a Kirklees Council Local Plan drop-in session at Dewsbury Town Hall to press the case for the site opposite Beckett Road to be designated Urban Green Space – which would safeguard it in most cases from future development.

Members had previously made a presentation to the council’s Cabinet which led to the site being scrapped from the current asset disposal programme.

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Friends chairman Paul Riordan, of Beckett Road, said: “The Community Green is used as kick around space by local kids, is used as a venue for community gatherings and charity fund raising events and has park benches that are used regularly by the residents of Barnfield, our local old people’s home.

“The council-elected members we’ve spoken to and our MP, Jo Cox, understand the issues.

“They’ve been very supportive of our efforts to secure a continuing future for this green lung in what is a heavily built-up area.

“To that same end we’re now using the consultation process on the draft Local Plan to make sure that the Community Green is not just a resource for today, it’s a resource for future generations.”

To find out more about the group, email [email protected]