An Isle of Wight town council will bid to make a ‘much-loved’ boating lake an Asset of Community Value (ACV), subject to its clerk being satisfied there is no legal risk to the authority.
Councillor Ian Boyd’s motion that Sandown Town Council (STC) submits an official nomination of ACV covering the privately owned Sandown Boating Lake and its margins was passed with an amendment on Monday evening.
Extending SINC designation
His separate motion for STC to nominate to the Island Nature Forum a proposal for the current boundaries of Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) 262A, Sandown Levels, to be extended to include the entirety of Sandown Boating Lake, including its margins, was also accepted.
The submissions come after the efforts of community volunteers to save wildlife at the lake, following an extended period of dry weather which caused a significant fall in water levels.
What difference it will make
When land or buildings are listed by councils as Assets of Community Value, their owners must give the community an opportunity to acquire them should they choose to sell.
SINCS are known nationally as local wildlife sites and raise awareness of areas’ wildlife importance, particularly in relation to planning and land management decision making.
Boyd: The community value is well-documented and inarguable
At Monday’s meeting, Councillor Boyd described the motions as working together, backing each other up and one acting as a “safeguard for the other”.
He said,
“Of course the amazing work of Katrina and Natalie and Luke, the group that are here, over the past few months in concentrating so much community spirit around the lake and its environmental quality, its wildlife, has been so spectacular.
“In terms of being able to demonstrate community value, it’s inarguable because all the evidence is there and fully documented.
“The ACV has a whole series of benefits…(it) inevitably constrains speculative development pressure on the lake because it caps that to some extent. It also acts as a lightning rod for funding.
“We can talk about this with some confidence because of the journey that the Grafton Street Town Hall has taken – that went onto a journey through ACV and that was a really important step… to begin to temper some of the development pressure…look where we are now, £3 million worth of investment and ACV had a part to play in that.”
Owner worried the clause might devalue his land
Conservative county and town councillor Ian Ward abstained on the ACV and SINC motions and voiced concerns over “legal risks” relating to the lake’s owner.
Councillor Ward said,
“He’s (the owner) contacted me, he’s heard about this…he will not interfere with the lake at all. He owns the land and has development plans for it and is in discussion with the Isle of Wight Council now.
“What he is annoyed about or worried about is that this clause might devalue his land and his development. If this clause devalues that work, he will be coming after Sandown Town Council. I think we need to get legal advice.”
Councillor Boyd said that he did not think there was “any reason to thwart a community-led nomination to recognise the community value of that site, based on the speculative development pressure that is coming”.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
