Story Time

Are you sitting comfortablely? Then I will begin.

In Setember, after reading about the proposed hotel to be built on Gypsies Green, the residents of The Broadway, the Kingsway and Mowbray Road arranged a meeting at Souter Lighthouse with the National Trust, Councillor Malcolm and Mr. Rick O'Farrell from the planning department. Other members of the public also attended and from this meeting the Save Our Seafront (SOS) group was formed.

At the meeting in Souter Lighthouse the National Trust was asked why they had refused the offer of the land at Gypsies Green Stadium. The reply was that the site was a' land fill' site and the area was of no Special Scientific Interest (SSI) . However, the beach nearest the Stadium is an area of SSI. Many questions were asked and a lot of discussion took place.

Also at this meeting Councillor Malcolm said that the site had been SOLD TO THE TAVISTOCK GROUP AND A DEPOSIT GIVEN. This deposit could be refunded if the group did not obtain planning permission for the building of this hotel.

In November Mr. G. Hunt wrote to the Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown about the sale of the land and the building of an hotel on a sports area namely Gypsies Green Stadium. Mr. Brown receives hundreds of letters a day and is unable to answer all of them personally so the letter was passed to the Government Office for the North East. The letter was answered on Nov.14th 2007 by Mrs. Margaret P. Lancaster of the planning team for the Environment and Durham. I will quote from this letter:-

"I have been in touch with the Council about the Stadium. The Council Officiers tell me that THEY HAVE RECEIVED NO APPLICATION TO DEVELOP THE SITE FOR any specific purpose."

What is the truth? Will we ever know the truth