Agenda item

Notice of Motion by Councillor J Moore Under Standing Order No 6

Exeter City Council notes that:

1.         The decision to sell the green space at Clifton Hill, close the Clifton Hill Sports Centre and sell land currently leased by Exeter Ski Club, as confirmed at the Council meeting of 26 February 2019, has proved highly contentious.

 

2.         The council received several petitions and numerous other representations opposing the sale: 1,800 people signed an online city-wide petition to save the sports centre; 500 signatures were collected door-to-door by the Save the Clifton Hill Green Space group, and the petition to save the Ski Slope was presented at the Council meeting on 26th February with a total of 2,624 signatures. All were ignored.

 

3.         On May 2nd of this year Independent Cllr Jemima Moore, one of the Clifton Hill green space campaigners, was elected with 1,359 votes, pushing voter turnout in the Newton and St. Leonard’s ward up from 34% to 39%.

 

4.         Clifton Hill was earmarked for sale before the consultation on Exeter’s Physical Activity Strategy, and thus the Ski Slope, Sports Centre and green space were excluded from city-wide strategic planning intended to enhance the wellbeing of people in Newtown and the whole of Exeter.

 

5.         We are facing a climate emergency, loss of biodiversity and dangerous levels of air pollution.  Exeter needs open spaces and trees to provide “green lungs” that mitigate rising temperatures and pollution.  The ambitious Exeter Garden City vision cannot be achieved if we build on the last remaining city centre green spaces.

 

6.         There is no guarantee that sale of the Clifton Hill site will achieve the expected £8.5 – £9 million, and yet this estimate has repeatedly been used as the sole justification for the decision.  Failure to meet this target could result in accusations of maladministration, or a legal challenge.

 

7.         The Council holds other assets that could either be sold to raise revenue or used for social housing to address local need and generate income in the longer term.  The sale of buildings and car parks should always be prioritised, before our green spaces, trees and wildlife are lost forever.

 

8.         It is not too late to rethink the Council’s decision to sell the Clifton Hill site, and for all of us to work together to seek a better solution.

 

Exeter City Council therefore resolves to put the decision to sell the Clifton Hill site on hold, pending a four month review period during which other options for raising revenue – including a full and transparent assessment of other Council assets that could be sold without losing green space – are explored.

 

 

Minutes:

Councillor J.Moore, seconded by Councillor D.Moore, moved a Motion in the following terms:-

 

Exeter City Council notes that:

1.         The decision to sell the green space at Clifton Hill, close the Clifton Hill Sports Centre and sell land currently leased by Exeter Ski Club, as confirmed at the Council meeting of 26 February 2019, has proved highly contentious.

 

2.         The council received several petitions and numerous other representations opposing the sale: 1,800 people signed an online city-wide petition to save the sports centre; 500 signatures were collected door-to-door by the Save the Clifton Hill Green Space group, and the petition to save the Ski Slope was presented at the Council meeting on 26th February with a total of 2,624 signatures. All were ignored.

 

3.         On May 2nd of this year Independent Cllr Jemima Moore, one of the Clifton Hill green space campaigners, was elected with 1,359 votes, pushing voter turnout in the Newton and St. Leonard’s ward up from 34% to 39%.

 

4.         Clifton Hill was earmarked for sale before the consultation on Exeter’s Physical Activity Strategy, and thus the Ski Slope, Sports Centre and green space were excluded from city-wide strategic planning intended to enhance the wellbeing of people in Newtown and the whole of Exeter.

 

5.         We are facing a climate emergency, loss of biodiversity and dangerous levels of air pollution.  Exeter needs open spaces and trees to provide “green lungs” that mitigate rising temperatures and pollution.  The ambitious Exeter Garden City vision cannot be achieved if we build on the last remaining city centre green spaces.

 

6.         There is no guarantee that sale of the Clifton Hill site will achieve the expected £8.5 – £9 million, and yet this estimate has repeatedly been used as the sole justification for the decision.  Failure to meet this target could result in accusations of maladministration, or a legal challenge.

 

7.         The Council holds other assets that could either be sold to raise revenue or used for social housing to address local need and generate income in the longer term.  The sale of buildings and car parks should always be prioritised, before our green spaces, trees and wildlife are lost forever.

 

8.         It is not too late to rethink the Council’s decision to sell the Clifton Hill site, and for all of us to work together to seek a better solution.

 

Exeter City Council therefore resolves to put the decision to sell the Clifton Hill site on hold, pending a four month review period during which other options for raising revenue – including a full and transparent assessment of other Council assets that could be sold without losing green space – are explored.

 

In presenting the Notice of Motion, Councillor J.Moore, said that she had been delighted that the Leader had made the recent announcement that the Clifton Hill green space and ski club site had been saved. She said that she and her colleagues and residents in the area had been campaigning for this. She welcomed his invitation to work together on the future use of those parts of Clifton Hill to reach a common ground for the continuing benefit of the local community. She welcomed also the change in stance in respect of the future use of Northbrook Golf course and Bull Meadow as well as the undertaking to protect play parks. She did not wish to withdraw her Motion as she wanted to ensure that these announcements would be publicly confirmed. She also asked the Leader to confirm that these sites would not be used for student accommodation and to formalise the status of the sites in the next cycle of meetings for confirmation at the next Council meeting. 

 

The Leader did not wish there to be any uncertainty over his statement regarding the retention of that part of Clifton Hill, originally considered for disposal and the protection of the green space. They had made a commitment for housing to be built on part of the site but there was no intention to build student accommodation. He said there was every intention to see the area at the rear of the Clifton Hill site retained as green space.  He would continue to engage with Members at the appropriate time.

 

Councillor J Moore in seeking the assurances from the Leader withdrew her Motion for the present time and welcomed the opportunity to work together to keep such green spaces in the city. She still wished for the matter to be pursued within the next cycle of meetings. The Leader advised that he would continue to work with senior Members who were a part of the Informal leaders Group.