A conservation area could be saved from sale after a council committee backed calls to keep it in public hands.
Wyre Forest District Council is considering the disposal of part of Burlish Country Park following a proposal from Kidderminster Harriers Football Club.
The cabinet report, which recommends that the site is not sold, was considered at the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday (October 15).
Members of the committee heard from several speakers, including Linda McKenzie, who noted that residents had “spoken out in their thousands” against the potential sale of Burlish Meadows.
Mike Perry, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, also spoke at the committee and described the grassland habitat at Burlish Meadows as “one of the rarest habitats in the UK.
He thanked the council for a “very thorough and well balanced” report.
Lucy Caddick also spoke at the meeting and urged the council to remember “how this disposal came about” and asked committee members to consider whether the sale was in the interests of the whole community.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee voted unanimously to support the recommendation not to sell the site.
The cabinet will now make a final decision on the sale at its meeting on Wednesday (October 21).
Earlier this year, Kidderminster Harriers Football Club approached the Council with a proposal to purchase approximately 8.5 hectares of land next to its training ground.
In July, cabinet agreed to consider the proposal and undertake the statutory process required for the potential disposal of public open space land.
This included giving the public the opportunity to comment on or object to the proposed disposal.
The decision was only to consider the proposal in principle and complete the required statutory process.
No decision was made at that stage to sell the land.
During the statutory notice period, the council received 656 responses: 650 objections, three in support of the proposal and three enquiries.
These responses highlighted the importance of Burlish Country Park as a valued community asset, providing opportunities for recreation, leisure, wellbeing and access to nature.
The report recognises the potential benefits of investment in local football facilities and the council is keen to see the club’s vision become a reality, but the report concludes that these are outweighed by the benefits of retaining the land for nature, public access and community wellbeing.
Following the report, Mike Williams, a spokesperson for the Friends of Burlish Meadows group, said: “This is an extremely positive development. The scale of the public response demonstrates how strongly local people feel about Burlish Meadows as a publicly owned open space for wildlife, recreation and the community.”
The campaigners also spoke about their long-term goal for the council to consider designating the whole site as a Local Nature Reserve to protect it from the threat of any future potential development.
