Green Councillors have called for a halt to the sell-off of a green field within the Riverside Valley Park for a large new ’proposed energy centre’. Labour-led Exeter City Council intends to dispose of the 1.8 hectare site at Grace Road Fields between Marsh Barton railway station and the Exeter Ship Canal. A public consultation on the land sale is running up to December 31st [1].
However, Green Councillors have raised objections to the sell-off as currently proposed [2]. Cllr Andy Ketchin said:
“Disposing of precious and diminishing green space requires a cast iron case to be made and the Labour-led Council has failed to do this.
”The sale of this field for an industrial complex goes against the Council’s own policies to protect the city’s Valley Parks. Furthermore, the information provided to the public is misleading and inadequate. It fails to mention the field is within the protected Riverside Valley Park and gives the impression that this is a brownfield site rather than a green space.
“Neither has there been any Environmental Impact Assessment. This field is a valuable site for nature, and a flood-sensitive area. Exeter City Council has a legal duty to establish the impacts on nature and the environment that will result from this industrial complex before they flog off the site.
”Finally, the Labour-led Council has not checked the developer’s claims that this is the only possible site for the energy plant. I have asked to see details of all 13 alternative potential sites looked at, but the developer has not shared that information.
“The public needs full and accurate information on this proposal so that responses to the consultation are well informed.”
Cllr Ketchin is calling on the Labour-led City Council to delay the proposed sale of the Grace Road Fields site, until the case has been made to the public that the company have proved there is no alternative brownfield site that could be used.
Notes
[1] https://news.exeter.gov.uk/public-invited-to-comment-on-land-disposal-at-grace-road/