Building on Dundonald Rec – Boris will not intervene | Wimbledon Town & Dundonald Lib Dems

London’s Mayor Boris Johnson has said in a letter that he will not intervene in Merton Council’s plans to build on part of Dundonald Rec.

Merton Council’s planning application committee approved plans to expand Dundonald Primary onto the Rec on 17 January 2013, but also had to consult Boris, who is responsible for protecting open spaces in London. Under the plans the public will lose full or partial access to around 5% of the Rec. The Council is also seeking removal of the legal protection against future building.

Planning officers were forced to admit that the “vast majority” of the public who responded to a consultation were against the plans.

Responding to the news, local Lib Dem spokesperson Diana Coman said:

London-wide planning rules are supposed to protect public open space and I am hugely disappointed that Boris Johnson is not going to overturn the plans to build on Dundonald Rec.

The argument against the plans to build on the Rec is about the erosion of an asset. We have a problem of lack of school places, but using other assets – like public open space – to correct the problem created by previous Council administrations does not seem to me to be an answer. I had written to Boris asking him to consider these issues in making his decision. Sadly he’s just ignored these arguments.

Building on Dundonald Rec – Boris will not intervene

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