Andrew Stunell responds to a letter in 皇冠体育app Times about playing fields
Communities Minister Andrew Stunell responds to a letter in 皇冠体育app Times about playing fields. Sir, Your reader is right to point out the importance鈥�
Communities Minister Andrew Stunell responds to a letter in 皇冠体育app Times about playing fields.
Sir,
Your reader is right to point out the importance of playing fields to communities all over the country (皇冠体育app Times, 22 August 2011), but聽the Coalition Government鈥檚 policies are supporting their protection not undermining it.
皇冠体育app 鈥楥ommunity Right to Buy鈥� set out in the Localism Bill will help save valued local assets such as village shops, libraries and playing fields by introducing a 鈥榳indow of opportunity鈥� to allow community groups a fixed period of time to put together a bid to buy a community asset - if it comes up for sale. 皇冠体育appse provisions will not force property owners to initiate any sale, dictate who they should sell to, or what sale price they choose at the end of the window of opportunity. It does a disservice to the thousands of landowners who already engage with their communities by providing playing fields to suggest that they would react to this provision by simply shutting up shop.
We are also introducing a new planning protection for valuable local green spaces聽- both in the countryside and urban areas. Together, these provisions will help safeguard the parks and playing fields at the heart of our communities.
Andrew Stunell
Communities Minister