Meadows get protection to buy time after sale bid

3 hours ago

Elliot BallWest Midlands

BBC A poster that reads "protect Burlish Meadows" is pinned to a metal gate in front of a large open field that has turned brown from the dry weather. — The added protection comes after the district council agreed in principle to sell the land

A country park in Worcestershire has been given new protection from an immediate sale after being listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

It comes after Wyre Forest District Council's Cabinet agreed in principle to the proposed sale of part of Burlish Country Park (Burlish Meadows) to Kidderminster Harriers Football Club.

The protection of the land, near Stourport-on-Severn, means the council must give the community an opportunity to bid for the land before any sale can proceed.

Campaigner Jason Kernohan said his group now had "some valuable time to put together a community bid and to demonstrate why Burlish Meadows should remain a community and wildlife asset".

Kernohan, chair of the Friends of Burlish Meadows, previously said he had been "blown away" by the amount of support his group had received.

"There have been over 3,000 names on our petition against this sell off, and we estimate that there have been about 1,000 written objections sent in to Wyre Forest District Council," he said.

If the group chooses to proceed, they will have up to six months to develop the bid and raise the necessary finance.

Jason Kernohan stood in Burlish Meadows wearing a black t-shirt and black glasses. Jason also has a white goatee beard and short white hair. — Jason Kernohan said the ACV listing had given his group time to put together a bid

Mike Perry, chief executive of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said: "If the community is successful in securing Burlish Meadows, the priority must be to protect and enhance the habitats that are already there, while finding ways for people to enjoy and understand the site without destroying the qualities that make it special."

A district council spokesperson confirmed the ACV listing, but added: "An ACV listing does not determine whether land can be developed and does not prevent the council from considering the future disposal of land.

"Any decisions about disposal, and any future planning applications, would continue to be considered through the appropriate legal, planning and decision-making processes."

The football club said the ACV listing was not something it was able to comment on at this stage.

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