A group of residents from Lower Whitelands and Tyning, Radstock, are appealing to locals to join them in supporting a plan from B&NES to protect green spaces in the area from development.
Bath and North East Somerset Council asked for suggestions of green spaces within the Radstock area that could be designated as Local Green Space in their Placemaking Plan and therefore protected from development. A group of residents from Lower Whitelands and Tyning have put together a proposal suggesting three linked green spaces on the eastern edge of Radstock that are integral to maintaining the character of the Lower Whitelands and Tyning area.
To be considered by B&NES, the areas have to be local in character and important to the local people under the following criteria: attractiveness, historic significance, recreational benefit, tranquillity of the area, valuable to wildlife or other particular local community significance.
Not long after the group set up their campaign, an outline planning application for 55 dwellings on one of the areas was announced. Being such a small community, it feels the addition of extra housing would be unsustainable with the current road layout and school and health provisions.
The group have put together a website containing a survey for residents and local people to fill in to find out more about how they use the proposed area. The information will then be passed to B&NES Council, to show how important the green space is to the local community and how it should be protected.
The site also contains information about the proposals and where the green spaces are located. Should the area be designated a Local Green Space, landowners will be able to continue to maintain and farm the land asbefore. The website can be found at: http://www.whitelands-tyning-greenspace.org.uk">www.whitelands-tyning-greenspace.org.uk
The deadline for the proposal is 23rd February 2015.