Protest staged at Cedar Avenue Playing Field, Newark, over plans to build homes on the site

PROTESTERS of all ages gathered at the Cedar Avenue Playing Field in Newark on Sunday to object to plans to build 32 new homes on the green space formerly owned by the Gilstrap Trust charity.

Town councillor Mr Laurence Goff, in whose Bridge ward the playing field lies, organised the gathering after canvassing opinion of residents.

Many have opposed to the proposed £4.6m development, which consists of 24 houses, six flats for supported housing, and two shared houses.

“I wanted to see what the residents think of the proposal to build social housing there, “said Mr Goff.

“Social housing is important but green spaces are also very important. It was a bitterly cold and windy day on Sunday (January 27) but about 50 people came out to share their views.

“A petition against the development was also posted online and 56 people had signed it within three hours. The number has grown to over 100 now.

“It’s all about the residents who live there. It’s their green space, given to them by the Gilstrap family and it should be protected.”

Father-of-two Mr Lee Yarnell, of Park Crescent, said his sons, Jenson, 6, and Oscar, 3, used the playing field regularly : “It’s the only park we have got locally that has not been turned into a play park.

“It’s just a nice green open space where you can do what you want ­— whether it’s kicking a football or walking dogs. I taught my son to ride his bike there as well. That park is so valuable to our local community. It really is.

“This land was left in trust for local children in perpetuity but the local councillors who are the trustees of the Gilstrap charity are robbing our children of their park.”

Mr Yarnell feels he is not alone in assuming a conflict of interest affecting trustees who are also Newark and Sherwoos district councillors. Concerns have also been raised by Facebook group Winthorpe Estate Residents ­— but the trustees of the Gilstrap Trust all have to be elected members of the district council, to fulfil the wishes of the charity’s founder, Sir William Gilstrap, a former Mayor of Newark.

“I can’t see the local people allowing this to go through. Someone somewhere is going to stand up to prevent this. It just shouldn’t be happening.”

After the land was sold in 2017, the Gilstrap charity said the development would be limited to 24 homes, with more open space than usual provided owing to the land’s long-term public use as a playing field, but the application now awaiting a decision by district planners is for 32 homes.

Mr Goff said there had also been messages of support for the campaign from the Gilstrap family.

He hopes that the public will attend the town council’s planning committee meeting on February 27 when it will make its recommendation to Newark and Sherwood District Council, whose planning committee will make the eventual decision on whether the development goes ahead.

A spokesman for Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “The district council has taken great care to ensure that its role as trustee for the Gilstrap Trust and its role as local planning authority are kept distinct and separate, in line with the highest standards of probity and integrity.

“None of the councillors on the board of trustees will take any part in the consideration and determination of the Cedar Avenue planning application.”

A spokesman for the Gilstrap Charity said: "The trustees of the Gilstrap Charity have acted at all times in good faith and completely in accordance with the purpose and provisions of the trust.

"The Charity Commission is the proper body to direct complaints to, however, the trustees are more than willing to meet with representatives of the Winthorpe Residents’ Group to explain the trust’s position and their responsibilities in full.

* In Thursday's Advertiser, the Newark and Shewood District Council response was wrongly attributed to the Gilstrap Charity. The editor apologises for the error.