Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Finance and Support

That consideration of the report be deferred so as to allow further discussions with the Police Crime Prevention Officer to take place and to allow the proposed lessee and the Friends of Hunsbury Hill Country Park and Northampton Ironstone Railway Trust to discuss the possibility of the lessee being involved with the Trust’s café operation.

Mr Oldham stated that he was objecting to the disposal of land to convert the toilet block into a café as it would be situated just after a sharp bend in the road and believed that the roads in the area would  become a lorry park particularly as the entrance to the car park had a height restriction barrier.  He commented that he believed that lorries would park on the pavements blocking access for the disabled and young mothers with prams and pushchairs.  In turn this would make it dangerous crossing the road.  He believed that a café would attract these situations.  Mr Oldham compared the current situation with Cabinet’s decision earlier in the year to object to quarrying at Milton Malsor on traffic grounds and believed that this situation was not materially different.  He related first hand experience of a near accident due to the driver driving too fast on this stretch of road.

Mr Sharpe speaking on behalf of residents and on behalf of the Friends of Hunsbury Hill Country Park felt that the report was biased against residents.  He noted that residents had lived with the toilets as a magnet for crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour for many years.  He observed that no improvements had been made to the car park as yet.  He also commented that as a car park it did not meet any national standard in terms of crime prevention.  He stated that both Ward Councillors felt that the café in the park would increase crime but the report said the opposite.  Mr Sharp stated that the Head Teacher of the nearby school had indicated that a café was likely to increase problems with truancy.  He also noted the Council’s crime safety document which indicated that the Council would provide residents with a safe environment free of crime.  He requested that Cabinet respond to the community’s concerns positively and that the Council should be supporting the Northampton Ironstone Railway Trust and their facilities.  Councillor Perkins commented that the Council did support the Northampton Ironstone Railway Trust (NIRT) and their café and asked Mr Sharpe in what way supporting NIRT would be different.  Mr Sharpe commented that a café at the NIRT already existed; it was fenced and had CCTV and was well run and managed.  He was aware that the Trust was planning to extend facilities, for example, to provide disabled toilets and extend their opening times.  The Friends of Hunsbury Hill Country Park had a vision for the park that the Trust supported.  Councillor Perkins asked if Mr Sharpe was aware of any discussions between the proposed lessee and NIRT about the lessee possibly being involved with the Trust’s café operation.  Mr Sharpe indicated he was not aware of any such discussion.

Mr Brown, the Chair of the Friends of Hunsbury Hill Country Park, believed that a café would increase noise, anti-social behaviour and he referred to the poor surface of the existing car park.  He noted the Police’s Crime Prevention Officer’s report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8