Friends consider £500k plan to buy meadow (From The Oxford Times)
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Friends consider £500k plan to buy meadow
3:00pm Thursday 3rd May 2012 in News
CAMPAIGNERS who battled to save Oxford’s Warneford Meadow from development may try to buy it from the Department of Health.
The meadow in Headington has been offered to both Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.
But a price tag, believed to be in the region of £500,000, looks to have put off both local authorities.
But it has emerged that the Friends of Warneford Meadow group are now considering launching a fundraising campaign to acquire the site.
The group says it may seek to join forces with the city council or some other organisation. However, any such deal is likely to depend on the asking price being significantly lowered.
The land behind Warneford Hospital was given town green status in 2009, when a powerful campaign stopped Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust from selling the land for development. The land has remained in Department of Health ownership.
The city council said “an excessive” asking price meant it was unlikely to acquire the 20-acre green site. County Hall said that it had declined the offer of the site, between Headington and East Oxford.
But Chris Dunabin, of the FOWM, believes that the councils’ response could open the way for the Friends. He said: “After being offered to the city council, with no agreement reached, our understanding is the land will be open to bids from others including community groups.
“We are certainly thinking about a big fund raising campaign. We shall look at bidding on our own or in collaboration with others, possibly the city council."
Department of Health spokesman Ros Selby said: “Local interest groups will now have the opportunity to express an interest in bidding for the Meadow.”
She would not reveal how much the meadow was on sale for.
Comments(11)
Oxford taxpayer
says...
5:03pm Thu 3 May 12
Andrew:Oxford
says...
7:19pm Thu 3 May 12
Oxford taxpayer wrote:But would they be prepared to let other people in the city enter the area?
I hope this is the end of the matter as far as the city council is concerned. The Friends of Warneford Meadow should fund the purchase on their own.
We all know how the locals of Divinity Road zealously guard "their" on street parking.
Dilligaf2010
says...
8:17pm Thu 3 May 12
Andrew:Oxford wrote:Good point.
Oxford taxpayer wrote:But would they be prepared to let other people in the city enter the area?
I hope this is the end of the matter as far as the city council is concerned. The Friends of Warneford Meadow should fund the purchase on their own.
We all know how the locals of Divinity Road zealously guard "their" on street parking.
Christine Hovis
says...
10:35pm Thu 3 May 12
John Lamb
says...
10:00am Fri 4 May 12
Credit crunch?
What credit crunch?
It's like Oxfordshire is in a protective bubble from the rest of the country's woes.
ChrisDunabin
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10:45am Fri 4 May 12
Andrew:Oxford
says...
1:17pm Fri 4 May 12
ChrisDunabin wrote:Cannot?
The headline on this item is wholly misleading. As we made clear to your reporter, Friends of Warneford Meadow might be interested in raisng funds to acquire the Meadow to keep it as an open space and protect its recreational and ecological value, but only at a price far lower than the figure quoted by DH, given that, as a Town Green, the land cannot be built on.
More "should not" under current legislation.
But that is only for now, future changes to legislation could make that plot extremely valuable to heirs of the current "friends".
Christine Hovis
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4:26pm Fri 4 May 12
They won't build on it, and it must be easier than getting the Friends incorporated so that they could be the landowner (with all the liabilities that could come with).
Dilligaf2010
says...
4:45pm Fri 4 May 12
Christine Hovis wrote:Good idea, but I doubt whether they'd be prepared to pay the asking price either, or even if they want any more meadows, they've got quite a few already haven't they.
Isn't the Oxford Preservation Trust a better potential owner?
They won't build on it, and it must be easier than getting the Friends incorporated so that they could be the landowner (with all the liabilities that could come with).
Perhaps Brookes could buy it and donate it to the people of the city, and their descendants?
LORD PETER MACVEY 0X2 6EG
says...
3:55am Sun 6 May 12
ChrisDunabin wrote:That price seems very fair to me, seeing that with planning permission it would be worth a few £million. I am unsure why no property speculator has not bought it in the hope of securing planning permission when we have a change of Government and possibly a change of the rules, or is that what the "friends" are looking for.
The headline on this item is wholly misleading. As we made clear to your reporter, Friends of Warneford Meadow might be interested in raisng funds to acquire the Meadow to keep it as an open space and protect its recreational and ecological value, but only at a price far lower than the figure quoted by DH, given that, as a Town Green, the land cannot be built on.
Dilligaf2010 says...
3:28pm Thu 3 May 12