Move to sae Southampton's Civil Service Sports Ground (From Daily Echo)
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Move to sae Southampton's Civil Service Sports Ground
4:20pm Friday 27th August 2010 in
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- By Matt Smith » Politics and business reporter
A HOUSEBUILDING giant is facing the loss of a nine-acre plot of land after Southampton City Council confirmed a compulsory purchase order (CPO).
Council chiefs want to stop Bovis Homes building on the former Civil Service Sports Ground in Civil Service Sports Ground Shirley.
The council has confirmed an order to allow it to acquire the fields after years of talks failed to persuade Bovis to sell.
It is using the Education Act to snap up the overgrown plot between Malmesbury Road and Suffolk Avenue for school playing fields amid a shortage in the city.
Bovis bought the site in 2005 from the Civil Service Sports Council and added it to its so-called land bank, but has not applied for any planning permission.
More than 1,000 people signed a petition during a campaign to save the land from developers.
Councillor Jeremy Moulton, Cabinet member for resources, said: “Southampton City Council has been working with residents for eight years to make sure this land remains available for community use and as a school playing field.
“Residents have long argued that this land should be available for everyone to enjoy and we have a duty to provide quality outdoor space for pupils.
“We have taken a significant step towards securing this land for the community but there is still a way to go before the process is complete.”
Bovis, which already allows nearby St Mark’s Junior School to use part of the site for its PE lessons, has six weeks in which to challenge the order.
The builder, which this week returned to profit with a £3.5m surplus for the six months to June 30 following losses of £8.6m a year earlier, will be entitled to compensation if the land is transferred to the council.
A Bovis Homes spokesman said: “I can confirm we remain in discussions with Southampton City Council regarding the CPO action.”
Comments(10)
freemantlegirl2
says...
4:54pm Fri 27 Aug 10
The Watcher
says...
5:26pm Fri 27 Aug 10
Now the challenge will be to work out how this valuable piece of land can be used for the benefit of the local community.
Redondo Saint
says...
5:29pm Fri 27 Aug 10
Redondo Saint
says...
5:29pm Fri 27 Aug 10
Paramjit Bahia
says...
5:43pm Fri 27 Aug 10
southy
says...
5:43pm Fri 27 Aug 10
Redondo Saint wrote:no much hope of that, they want to build on test playing fields and 4 acer in redbridge. they all ready allowed the building of a new school on the old gas works cricket ground (part of test playing fields) and have closed down mansel school ready to build on, oaklands is to be closed and built on when they build a new school on 4 acer.
Where I currently live, the local govt alway do a good job of keeping playing fields and school sports grounds in good condition. Hopefully Soton go back to the old days where playing fields were seen as important.
Spokesman for the Animals
says...
6:39pm Fri 27 Aug 10
Rob444
says...
9:23pm Fri 27 Aug 10
MartinWellbourne
says...
9:41pm Fri 27 Aug 10
The Watcher wrote:No doubt the Council will do the dirty and use the land to relocate a couple of schools and sell off the vacated sites for housing. No net gain.
What a very good decision by the Council. Now the challenge will be to work out how this valuable piece of land can be used for the benefit of the local community.
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Compulsory purchase order made on the former Civil Service Sports Ground
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Redondo Saint says...
4:47pm Fri 27 Aug 10
Let's hope the council make a decent job of providing funds to make the land useable as playing fields, etc.