Council 'mustn't bury heads in the sand' over £550,000 Shrewsbury land row
Councillors "must not bury their heads in the sand" and should hand back community land wrongfully sold in a £550,000 deal, it has been claimed.
That is the view of Lib Dems on Shrewsbury Town Council, who say the authority has to make good on its vow to help return part of Greenfields Recreation Ground.
Councillor David Vasmer, who represents the Underdale area, said: “Shrewsbury Town Council leadership cannot stick its head in the sand about this issue. It must get to the negotiating table and make an effort to talk through what agreement could be made as soon as possible.
"This is the way we get land back to Greenfields residents, and is also how we can minimise costs to the taxpayer in doing so.”
Bowbrook councillor Alex Wagner added: “Residents deserve openness and transparency at every level of government. We have to get a move on as a town council and make good on our promises, ASAP.”
The land was sold in 2017 to CSE Developments so the property firm could build 15 homes, but after years of legal wrangling and protests, it was established that it should have been designated for community use. The council "unreservedly" apologised in an extraordinary meeting in June this year, and said it would help return the land to the community.
Since then, a planning barrister has "unequivocally" advised the authority not to enter into negotiations with CSE Developments until after a Supreme Court hearing on the matter, which is scheduled for December 7.
This led to frustration for Greenfields Community Group members, who believe the town council and the developers should have known about the land's status before the sale took place.
This week, Shrewsbury Developments Ltd and Apricus Ltd - firms which lent cash to CSE Developments to complete the purchase - defended CSE as an "innocent party", pointing to remarks from Michael Redfern KC, who conducted an independent inquiry on the sale.
