Haven Green

posted in: Council | 0

Haven GreenEarlier this year, a local resident formally submitted a proposal to Ealing Council for Haven Green to be designated as a village green. This would provide it with greater protection than it currently enjoys as common land under Victorian legislation. As it is required to do so, the Council duly advertised the application, and we understand that over 50 letters of support were received from local residents. There were only two letters against – from the Council itself. One was from the Council’s own executive director of regeneration and housing, arguing that such status would affect its plans for increasing the number of bus stops and taxi stands on the Green; the other from the head of parks, objecting on grounds of a legal technicality. The Council can itself decide what to do next: it could set up a committee to rule on the proposal, or it could institute an independent public inquiry. We strongly take the view that Ealing Council should not determine the application itself as it is potentially conflicted: it should instead call for a Public Inquiry held by an independent planning inspector, answerable only to the Secretary of State.