LESSA Application update

The planning committee has voted against developing over the LESSA sports field.

West Barnes Lib Dems welcomed the decision of the planning committee to vote against the development of the LESSA sports field.  The development of the green space would have been a significant loss of green space for West Barnes residents.

In 2009 this land was promised to be for sports use, but had been left empty and fenced for over 20 years. Sporting groups and local schools had been denied the use of the field. Many sporting groups including Sports England were against the planning application.

The site is protected in the local planning rules, the Local Plan. This stated that the site cannot be built on if it can be reasonably demonstrated that there is a viable sporting use. Councillors on the planning committee did not think the developer had shown there was no viable sporting use.

The West Barnes Lib Dem team would like to take the opportunity to thank the hundreds of residents who contacted us about the application. We received no support for the application. We are grateful for your evidence-based arguments and well researched reasons for your representations. It helped us when we represented your views and spoke out against the application at the committee.