Sale of County Council Land
December 2011Following our email of 13 December alerting members to this proposed sale, there has been considerable media interest in this proposal. Although Friends of Quantock has been interviewed several times and has clearly stated its position on this sale, it is felt that, due to the mixed messages in the media, it would be helpful if we once again make our position clear, as follows:
“FoQ are opposed to the sale by the County Council of any land the Council owns within the AONB and we have entered a formal objection to the proposal. We feel that the four areas that are currently owned by the Council – i.e. Great Wood, Over Stowey Custom Common, Thorncombe Hill and Cothelstone Hill – are very important parts of the AONB and should remain in public ownership as heritage assets.
The County Council argues that, with proper safeguards, these parcels of land could safely pass into private ownership. FoQ are not against private ownership in principle and indeed other parts of the Hills are privately owned and in good hands. However, we feel that the public interest in these assets is better served by public ownership and that moving them to private ownership after 100 years is a retrograde step. We also have concerns as to how satisfactory the safeguards can be in the long term, should the land fall into hands that were not so sympathetic to the public interest.
FoQ believes that, if the County Council does not wish to hold these assets, they should be passed to another public or charitable body, such as the National Trust. We have also expressed our possible interest in holding this land, particularly Thorncombe Hill, on behalf of the wider community, if that proves to be the way forward.”
Posted in Newsletter Articles
I will send a written objection to this proposal as I feel very strongly that it should not go ahead.
Dont let them sell a square inch! Its the thin end of the wedge and will give people the idea that that they can erode the hills even more. In my lifetime there has already been huge change.
Keep up the good work
best
Pete
I will be putting my objection forward. The sale of the quantocks is unthinkable. This area of outstanding natural beauty should remain in public ownership. There needs to be a link to Twitter and Facebook with a petition on 38 degrees. This is urgent and Somerset County Council have kept it worringly quiet!
Proposed gain £900,000, Somerset population 917,000 – Lottery ticket money for a tourism and land management lottery
As an ex-councillor, a rambler and a local historian, I strongly protest against the proposal to sell one of the best known and most popular parts of the Quantocks. The area has given inspiration to thousands of Somerset residents over the years. It is an enormous learning facility for youngsters of all ages. Above all it forms a vital part of the County’s heritage and should be preserved for public use.
Has this County Council got no shame and no sense of history. They would not dare to put such a proposal in an election manifesto!
This is an alarming move and should be stopped for closer scrutiny at the very least. What are the criteria for sales? Can anyone can buy? Housing estate builders? Polluting corporations? Foreign investors with deep pockets leaving locals at the mercy of their ambitions? What does this proposed sale mean for the community, the county and the country? Where is the consultation and discussion on this?
Absolutely unthinkable, I will be writing to object. This plan needs to be stopped. If it does go ahead-where would it stop? A question that the Council has neither contemplated nor have reasonable answers to. It is essential we keep the Quantocks protected. I agree with Sandy, it is very interesting how this proposal was not in the election manifesto!
All the arguments that were used against the government’s plan to sell off forests apply here too. Perhaps the only difference is that the county council seems to have planned the timing in the hope that people are too busy with Christmas to protest. Our politicians should not be surprised at people’s distrust of them when they try to slip something like this through with the so-called consultation period being the run up to Christmas.
I strongly oppose this proposal. This is short-termism at its worst. The attempted parcelling-up and selling-off of public land paid for by the public, and for the benefit of the public in order to plug an immediate budgetary gap is disgraceful.
I suggest that in addition to sending your letters to County Hall, Taunton, you also contact your local MP. In the case of Bridgwater (West Somerset) this would be Ian Liddell-Grainger (ianlg@parliament.uk).
I shall be writing to object to this proposed sell- off of public land. How dare they even consider selling something which is publicly owned?
This appears to be a short-sighted stopgap to plug a budgetry hole by selling off assets. Once sold, the said assets can never be recovered. Also, how underhand of them to try and slip this through just before Christmas.
Janice is right….a very underhand tactic! I have just finished putting together my objection letter. The Quantocks is a key area with which to support Somersets Biodiversity in addition to hosting recreational activity. As such the prospect of it being sold to private ownership is ridiculous!
I’ve also started a petition on Somerset County Council web site. You can sign it here: http://petitions.somersetconsults.org.uk/petitions.ti/quantocks
The benefits of living in such a glorious county as Somerset, is the amount of open space in public ownership and the ability to move freely along the numerous footpaths, tracks etc all year round.
This sale, if it goes ahead, will be a disaster for the many people who enjoy the area, putting it into the hands of a few, for the benefit of the few, and for so little in return.
I shall definitely be writing my objection to this sale.
This has to be stopped. Its public land, and a beautiful place. Its not for the council to decide its future. You need to get in touch with an online petition site like Avaaz, or 38 Degrees who campaigned against the proposed forest sell-off. They can drum up instant mass support and put pressure on the council to reverse the proposal.
this council needs to be kept a watch on, what next?
I have emailed Honor Clarke. I spent part of my childhood (1941-44) near Over Stowey, and I am outraged by proposals to sell off even a tiny fraction of this miraculous AONB, which is there for all to share.
This monstrous plan will be regretted when times improve. By then it will be too late. Have the SCC lost all reason, all sense of beauty, all awareness of the difference between good and bad?
Colin Cooper
THIS MUST BE STOPPED!
I support your efforts to stop the sale of any part of the
Quantock hills,Iwould like to be kept informed of any further developements. Ken Layzell 26/01/2012
I have just received a reply from Somerset CC (to my objection) suggesting that these areas are partially protected by existing designations and that this plus covenants might provide an adequate safeguard of public interest.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
As I understand it these lands are commons and already belong to the people and at the very least should be handed over to an organisation, such as yourselves that will continue to care for them.
Just like the sale of forests, this is a matter of principle and I strongly agree that a campaign on Facebook and through 38 degrees could help.
38 degrees made me aware of your campaign. Well done and thank you.
Buried away in the news items on Somerset County Councils website is this innocuous sounding article: “Open for access”. I quote from it -
Somerset County Council has given a categorical assurance that the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will be sold complete with all existing walking, riding and public access rights.
Some thoughts occur:
1: Is it possible that some of the “existing” rights are permissory? My (limited) understanding is that those permissory rights can be changed by the new land owner.
2: What controls are there on re-sale of the land?
3: Are the terms of the sale such that only the Forestry Commision and golf-course developers will have a commercial interest in bidding on the land now or in the future?
4: Are the existing rights policed in any way? I suspect the rights, when enforced, will be much narrower than the people currently exceeding them (innocently and harmlessly) imagined.
5: Do all the areas for sale fall strictly within the boundary of the AONB?
6: Do you still feel “categorically assured” ?
The best of luck to you.