Gypsies Green Action Group

The Marathon Begins

2008-02-19T10:17:00.000Z

Whilst not much has happened on this site, the Save Our Seafront Association has been very busy behind the scenes. We recently held a fund raising event at The New Crown Hotel with a singer, raffles and a buffet. The event was packed and every body had a great time.

However, a recently released report from the Regeneration and Resources Scrutiny Committee has revealed that Tavistock Leisure will lodge its planning application in May of this year, with plans to build at the latest 2009.

Our campaign to save the seafront is now more important than ever. Posts will now be more frequent, and we are currently obtaining the details of the committee’s next meeting so we can send a delegation to lodge the severity of our opposition.

Over 8,000 people have signed our petition, and that’s 8,000 members of the public who will not be voting for Labour Councillors in May of this year.

When will Councillors listen to the public, and not the “kerrching” of the Borough till?

AN APPEAL TO HARRIERS AND OTHER SPORTING GROUPS

2008-01-06T14:15:00.000Z

Most regions have traditions which are associated with Boxing Day. The “Boxing Day Dip” is possibly the best known for our area, an unenviable short swim in the very cold water that is the North Sea. Madness!

A less insane but no doubt equally painful tradition is the South Shields Athletic and Harrier Clubs “Boxing Day Parloff”, an event which has been held annually (continually) for at least 25 years, but one which has a much longer history. Basically the event involves runners being drawn from a hat as pairs. One runner from the team stands half way around the track. His fellow member starts running towards him from the start. When they meet, the second runner continues the lap. The first runner turns around and either walks, jogs or runs (depending on fitness ability) back to the finish and/or meets his partner coming the other way. The process is repeated. The first pair to run two miles in this way are the winners and receive a trophy for a year. It may sound complicated, but it isn’t.

This year saw a RECORD turn out for the event, with eleven teams competing, with treble the number of family members watching the event. And it was all washed down with coffee and mince pies. All in all, a great community event and as a reflection of the health of the Club at the moment, a good day for the voluntary organisers and runners.

The sad thing is however, if the Gypsies Green development goes ahead, it will be the LAST Boxing Day event ever.

THERE WILL BE NO NEW RUNNING TRACK OR STADIUM BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE THE CLUB WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AT LEAST

A GREAT TRADITION WILL HAVE BEEN DESTROYED

THE BOROUGH WILL LOOSE A VALUABLE COMMUNITY GROUP WHICH ENCOURAGES AND HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE MORE OF THEIR LIVES

The time has come for South Shields Harriers and other interested sporting groups to come of the fence and lend their support and voice to the fight to oppose the Tavistock development. The Council can prevaricate and promise as much as they want, but no new facilities will emerge.

Join us now and let’s stop this development in its tracks!

NEWS IS SPREADING FAST

2008-01-06T13:46:00.000Z

A post has appeared on The Northern Herald site today concerning the Common Land and Town and village Green Committee which meets later next week. We first looked at this option on 30th December. However, it looks like a battle lies ahead for Mr Ahmed Khan’s attempt to protect large areas of land on the sea front and adjoining parks.

Follow this link to read the post in full.

http://thenorthernherald.blogspot.com/2008/01/hidden-agenda.html

The Northern Herald has always supported and promoted out cause. It has also out lined the new information which has appeared today, for which we are grateful.

As their post states, we still need to attend this meeting regardless of the anticipated outcome. The Council must realize they are not going to get a free run when it comes to carving up our heritage for financial gain.

COMMON LAND AND TOWN AND VILLAGE GREENS COMMITTEE
9TH JANUARY 2008
4 P.M. MAIN COUNCIL CHAMBER
PUBLIC CAN ATTEND

THE BEACON NEWSLETTER

2008-01-06T10:52:00.000Z

Below is the text of a newsletter which has been distributed within the Beacon and Bents Ward by prospective Independent Councillor Mr Ahmed Khan. The link between what happens in the ward is an intrinsic element of the Gypsies Green development plans. The letter makes very interesting reading.

Many thanks to George for passing it on to us.

THE BEACON
Newsletter Update

ARBEIA FORT DEVELOPMENT & TOWN GREEN APPLICATION.

I am writing to you to give you an update on the proposed Arbeia Fort Development & my application to register our sea front parks as a Town Green. If successful this would ensure our parks & open spaces would be protected from the constant threat of development/sell off by the council to plug any financial black holes created by there own mismanagement. It would also ensure that they are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Many of you will be aware that I organised 2 public meetings on 10th & 31st July. At the second meeting I outlined a programme of action including registering the parks as a Town Green & organising 2 petitions – one opposing any Arbeia ‘visitor’ development in North Marine Park & one calling on South Tyneside Council to support the application for a own Green.

Councillor JOHN WOOD (accompanied by John Anglin) was present at the second meeting following a public invitation in the Gazette. You may recall Councillor WOOD’s comment about preserving our seafront! Remember those comments ‘our seafront is sacred’ and “you don’t hear about all the schemes put forward for the seafront’? Well Cllr. WOOD we wouldn’t if we’re not told & if you & your colleagues in the Cabinet push everything through secretly. Worse still you try & justify not telling us on the grounds of commercial sensitivity! I’ll return to ‘our sacred seafront’ later.

Whilst I was preparing the application & many of you were collecting signatures for the petitions it appears that Councillor WOOD immediately reported back to his Cabinet colleagues who in turn appear to have taken action in an attempt to undermine our application. How else would you explain the sudden appearance of 41 signs erected around the seafront parks on or around the 6th August (a week after the meeting) that Councillor WOOD attended? The wording on the signs states:

This park is owned by South Tyneside Council. Use of this park is not as of right for the purpose of section 22 of the Commons Registration Act 1965 (as amended). Use of this land is by right or else with the revocable permission of South Tyneside Council.

To understand the true meaning of the above statement one needs to understand the rules governing Town and Village Green Applications. In essence most applications for Town Green status are made using the 20 year rule. In effect you have to prove that the land in question has been used continually for 20 years or more for recreational/leisure purposes, the 20 years is backdated from the date of the application. In recent years many landowners have taken to either fencing land off or erecting signs stating that people using the land have no rights in relation to registering the land under the 20 year rule as soon as they find out about an impending application. The erection of the 41 signs by South Tyneside Council were a clear attempt to remove the public’s right to register the land under this rule as defined by the 1965 Act. The fact that these signs were erected so quickly & were in place before the application was received by the registration authority (who also happens to be South Tyneside Council) would normally have torpedoed any application to register the land as we would no longer be able to prove 20 years of continuous use. Cleary this demonstrates the fact that the council are not in favour of preserving our parks and open spaces & that that they may well have plans to sell off &/or build on our last remaining parks & open spaces.

It may interest you to know that I am in possession of council correspondence that state categorically the reasons why these signs were erected, here is a quote from the correspondence,

“The erection of the signs highlights the Council's ownership of the land and was deemed necessary to defend a Village Green application”.
… see overleaf
Interesting then that the council had not received an application to register the land at this stage, so where did the information come from? It doesn’t take a genius to work out that it more than likely came from Councillor JOHN WOOD & co.

The 41 signs refer to section 22 of the Commons Registration Act 1965 & clearly state that the public have no rights to claim the 20 year rule. However, this act was superceeded by the Commons Act 2006 which came into effect in April 2007. It seems that the Council were unaware of this new legislation despite receiving regular updates from DEFRA. If the had been they would not have erected signs quoting legislation that is no longer relevant, in effect the signs appear to be worthless. However the cost to you & I for yet another example of incompetence exceeds £800.

As far as the new Act is concerned Section 15 changes the legal definition of a town or village green and sets out the qualifying circumstances in which land may be newly registered. Essentially anyone can apply to have land registered as a green if it has been used by local people for recreation ‘as of right’ (i.e. without permission, force or secrecy) for at least 20 years. Interestingly it eliminates the problem of landowners withdrawing consent by either fencing the area off or stopping the public accruing ‘rights’ as South Tyneside Council have tried to do.

Instead the act provides a period of grace (currently 2 years) after use of land by local people ‘as of right’ has been ended by the landowner (as the council did on or around 6th August 2007), when an application to register it as a green can still be made (under the old legislation, an application had to be made immediately after use ‘as of right’ had been ended) which explains the council’s urgency to erect the signs!

On 24th August 2007 I submitted an application to South Tyneside Council to register land at North & South Marine Parks, Bents Park & Bents Park Recreational Ground (the Dragon) as a Town Green which was subsequently rejected due to a minor date error. I re-submitted the application on 5th October 2007 & this was duly accepted on 18th October.

Now back to Councillor WOOD’s ‘our seafront is sacred’ comment. Well since the public meetings & the announcement that a Town Green application was imminent there has been a flurry of activity on the seafront. Perhaps Councillor WOOD’s definition of ‘sacred’ really means spoilt or was it Costa Del Shields? However, we might call it something different, how about asset stripping or selling off the family silver? Let’s hope for the sake of future generations Santa was kind to him & left him a dictionary or better still a conscience. Here are a few examples of what Cllr WOOD really meant, judge for yourself?

1. The decision making Cabinet (of which Councillor JOHN WOOD is a member) announces plans to ‘sell’ Gypsies Green Stadium to Durham Estates Ltd so Tavistock Leisure can build a hotel & conference centre.

2. The Cabinet agrees to ‘sell’ (sorry lease) Sandhaven Caravan Park for 125 years to Northumbrian Leisure Ltd for a fee of £1.2 million with an annual ground rent of ‘one peppercorn’.

3. According to the South Tyneside Local Development Framework there are plans to ‘sneak’ through an expansion of the site in 2011. This includes a ‘small’ expansion of 1.2 hectares by encouraging on the adjacent Bents Recreation Ground, increasing the overall size to 4 hectares.

4. The Council asks Tribal Consultants to carry out a study looking at options for a new seafront leisure facility, an exercise that will cost around £40,000 in fees (on top of the £60,000 for the Arbeia Fort Report)

On the 18th December I received a letter informing me that the application had been referred to the Common Land and Town and Village Green Committee for preliminary consideration. The committee will meet on 9th January at the Town Hall (main council chamber) at 4pm. The meeting is open to the public and I strongly urge anyone who can attend to do so. This is the first stage of what I anticipate to be a long hard battle, a battle that I feel we can & must win on behalf of the people of South Tyneside, the wider region & more importantly the generations to come.

One final thought … Let’s not forget that once our precious parks and open spaces have gone they’ve gone forever, is this the legacy we want to leave future generations?

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a belated merry Christmas & best wishes for a happy & prosperous 2008.

Ahmed Khan
60 Julian Avenue, South Shields. NE33 2EW.
Tel. 0191 4560326
e-mail ahmed@beaconandbents.info

SAVE OUR SEAFRONT NEWSLETTER

2008-01-06T10:42:00.000Z

Here isa news letter for you to read. Over the next few days the text outlined below will be distributed to all homes and businesses in the sea front and surrounding area (we will even pop a copy into the Tavistock restaurant!)

Please make a note of the following dates:

PUBLIC MEETING
THURSDAY 17 JANUARY
7.00 P.M.
NEW CROWN PUB

FULL COUNCIL MEETING
THURSDAY 24 JANUARY
3 P.M. SOUTH SHIELDS TOWN HALL
FUND RAISING SOCIAL EVENING
SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY
7.30 P.M.
NEW CROWN PUB
(TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE NEW CROWN)

January 2008
Save Our Seafront

Campaign to save Gypsies Green

Local residents have been working since last summer to oppose the sale of Gypsies Green Sports Stadium for the development of a hotel. We have had several public meetings in the New Crown pub. It has been clear that there is broad local opposition to a hotel and support for the council keeping this as a real leisure facility – ideally upgrading the stadium.

In October we formed a committee to ensure the campaign keeps up the pressure:

Chair - Gordon Finch
Secretary - Shirley Ford
Treasurer - Ann Moon
Media Co-ordinator - Geraldine White
Website Co-ordinator - Rosemary Biggs
Committee members – Shirley Hunt, Maureen Donnelly, Margaret Taroni, Steve Pattison

The committee meets every fortnight on Monday evening in the New Crown. We have formed an association with a constitution recommended by the local Council for Voluntary Service.

We have kept the issue in the public eye, with letters to the Shields Gazette and press releases resulting in a steady flow of articles in the Gazette and other papers. We have attended full Council meetings to ask questions to hold the councillors to account and protested outside the local Community Area Forum.

The public pressure seems to have been working as so far the company named as the preferred bidder, Tavistock (Durham Estates), has not submitted a planning application yet. We have contacted the users of Gypsies Green stadium and although they have been promised “alternative facilities”, they are all very concerned about this.

Gathering signatures for our petition has continued, with concerted efforts in King Street, the Nook and Jarrow.

REMEMBER … if you haven’t signed the petition yet or know people who want to sign it, petition forms are available at any time in the New Crown Pub.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Public Meeting

Thursday 17 January

7.00 pm

New Crown Pub

Full Council Meeting

Thursday 24 January

3.00 pm

South Shields Town Hall

Fundraising Social Evening

Saturday 9 February

7.30 pm

New Crown Pub
(tickets available from committee members & the New Crown)

HOW TO CONTACT US

Email: saveourseafront@hotmail.co.uk
Website: www.gypsiesgreen.blogspot.com
or leave a message for us in the New Crown pub

COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING 9TH JANUARY

2007-12-30T16:17:00.001Z

A local site http://www.thenorthernherald.blogspot.com/ has highlighted a forthcoming council sub committee meeting. The Common Land, Town and Village Greens Committee will meet on 9th January 2007 (4 p.m. Council Chambers) to discuss a request by Mr Ahmed Khan to grant common land status to large areas of land on the sea front. Whilst not a member of the Save Our Seafront Committee, Mr Khan shares the Associations concern for the future of the area. His request to the council committee will have an effect on the Tavistock development, and if granted, will protect the area from any further developments.

The public are allowed to attend the meeting, but at this stage cannot make verbal contributions. However, a good turn out will show that we are not going to give up on this issue. I would therefore urge you all to attend.

Have a good New Year!

http://thenorthernherald.blogspot.com/2007/12/we-arethe-village-green-preservation.html

LEAFLETING EXERCISE WESTOE CROWN VILLAGE

2007-12-30T16:13:00.000Z

Earlier this month I posted on the new campaign that will begin in the New Year. In the first couple of weeks of January 2008 we are leafleting the Westoe Crown Village and surrounding areas to increase the awareness of the problems the Tavistock development will cause. If anybody wants to help with this exercise or become involved with the campaign, send an email to GypsiesGreen@Yahoo.Co.Uk and I will send you all the camapign details etc.

DISTRICT AUDITOR UPDATE

2007-12-27T20:00:00.000Z

Whilst planning the New Years campaign, I came across the original template of a letter which was sent to the District Auditor re the plans for the Gypsies Green Stadium and surrounding areas. I have posted the text so that you are all aware that there are many ways to tackle this issue, and that no stone will be left unturned in the fight to Save Our Seafront.

NAME AND ADDRESS (Removed for obvious reasons)

Paul Woolston.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
89 Sandyford Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8HW

Dear Mr Woolston

RE: SOUTH TYNESIDE COUNCIL BEST CONSIDERATION ON DISPOSAL OF LAND AT GYPSIES GREEN SPORTS STADIUM, GYPSIES GREEN SPORTS GROUND, SEA ROAD, SOUTH SHIELDS, TYNE AND WEAR.

I am writing to you in your capacity as District Auditor for South Tyneside Council.

It is my understanding that South Tyneside Council is to dispose of a parcel of land to enable development to take place on that land. The land in question is known as Gypsies Green Sports Stadium, located at Gypsies Green Sports Ground, Sea Road, South Shields.

It is my belief that the Council has in its deliberation on disposal of this land failed to give full and appropriate consideration to obtaining the best available consideration for the land both in terms of usage and disposal.

It is my view that to obtain best consideration in the disposal of the land the Council must and should have taken into account the value of the land for amenity usage as well as merely its disposal value. The land in question is at present used for sporting, leisure and recreational activity which includes public usage of the land thereby giving the land a high recreational and amenity value. The land also includes a number of facilities, namely a sports stadium, running track, football pitches, changing rooms and car parking.

I would therefore request that you investigate this matter under your various powers to ensure that the South Tyneside Council is in fact obtaining best usage and best consideration for the land in question.

Yours sincerely

SIGNATURE (removed for obvious reasons)

END OF YEAR REVIEW

2007-12-18T20:33:00.000Z

A meeting of the Save Our Seafront committee was held last night to discuss the progress of the fight to preserve the Borough’s coastline. The public petition exercises were analyzed and found to be a resounding success, with thousands of people signing the petition to oppose the plans to allow Tavistock to build a hotel on the site of the Stadium.

Whilst we will continue to consult the public (something the Council refuse to do) 2008 will see a new and novel programme of opposition to the development. If the Council thought the fight would die a death, they are very, very wrong. Campaigners, thanks to public backing, are now more motivated than ever.

This may be the last post this year, so on behalf of all those involved, thank you for your unanimous support. Keep writing those letters to the Shields Gazette and remember to let your own ward councillors know that you are against the campaign and that you want them to reflect your views.

Don’t forget to visit the site regularly, as campaign programmes will be highlighted here first.

Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Recharge your batteries for 2008, because that’s when the fight really begins!

Protestors at Jarrow

2007-12-09T12:31:00.000Z

Many thanks to the number of people who signed our petition, over 500 stopped and signed.It made standing in the cold for two hours worthwhile. In the New Year we hope to be in Hebburn town centre.

I will take this opportunity to wish every one a Merry Christmas and a Happy, prosperous and successful Year for 2008.

Story Time

2007-11-30T12:17:00.000Z

Are you sitting comfortablely? Then I will begin.

In Setember, after reading about the proposed hotel to be built on Gypsies Green, the residents of The Broadway, the Kingsway and Mowbray Road arranged a meeting at Souter Lighthouse with the National Trust, Councillor Malcolm and Mr. Rick O'Farrell from the planning department. Other members of the public also attended and from this meeting the Save Our Seafront (SOS) group was formed.

At the meeting in Souter Lighthouse the National Trust was asked why they had refused the offer of the land at Gypsies Green Stadium. The reply was that the site was a' land fill' site and the area was of no Special Scientific Interest (SSI) . However, the beach nearest the Stadium is an area of SSI. Many questions were asked and a lot of discussion took place.

Also at this meeting Councillor Malcolm said that the site had been SOLD TO THE TAVISTOCK GROUP AND A DEPOSIT GIVEN. This deposit could be refunded if the group did not obtain planning permission for the building of this hotel.

In November Mr. G. Hunt wrote to the Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown about the sale of the land and the building of an hotel on a sports area namely Gypsies Green Stadium. Mr. Brown receives hundreds of letters a day and is unable to answer all of them personally so the letter was passed to the Government Office for the North East. The letter was answered on Nov.14th 2007 by Mrs. Margaret P. Lancaster of the planning team for the Environment and Durham. I will quote from this letter:-

"I have been in touch with the Council about the Stadium. The Council Officiers tell me that THEY HAVE RECEIVED NO APPLICATION TO DEVELOP THE SITE FOR any specific purpose."

What is the truth? Will we ever know the truth

Protestors at Jarrow

2007-11-25T16:33:00.000Z

On Sat. Dec.1st members of Gypsies Green Action Group will be in Jarrow Town Centre and outside Morrisons with petitions for members of the public to sign if they are in agreement with our cause.
We are objecting to South tyneside Council selling Gypsies Green Stadium in order to build a four storey hotel on the site. Once the land has been built on it will be lost for ever as a recreational venue for use by everyone in the borough especially the young footballers and the Harriers.

We will look forward to meeting everyone.

Collection of signatures at the Nook

2007-11-20T15:41:00.000Z

We had an excellent response on Saturday Nov 17th at the Nook when members of 'Save our Seafront' were out asking for signatures.
Thank you to everyone who took part, we need all the support you are willing to give.

Council Meeting Nov. 22nd 2007

2007-11-20T15:33:00.000Z

At the Council meeting on Thursday Nov 22nd at 3.00pm twelve questions are going to be asked by members of 'Save Gypsies Green' group. They will all be concerned with Gypsies Green Stadium.
We are also going to protest on the steps of the Town Hall again before we go into the Town Hall. Your support would be welcomed for this and for the Council meeting.
Thank you in anticipation for your support

Saturday Nov. 17th 2007

2007-11-14T12:16:00.000Z

On Saturday Nov.17th members of 'Save our Seafront' will be at the Nook with petitions for members of the public to sign if they wish, also there will be another referendum to see how much support this campaign has from the people of South Tyneside
We want to save Gypsies Green Stadium from sold and developed. We feel that it should be kept as a sport's stadium for the furture and present young people of South Tyneside. We hope to have your support.

Saturday's Straw Poll

2007-10-31T19:30:00.000Z

On Saturday Oct. 27th many members of 'Save Gypsies Geen' group set up a table under the bridge in Kings Street. Members if the public were asked to sign our petition and at the same time were asked if they would like to take part in a 'straw poll'. 793 members of the public took part. The votes were counted by a Gazette reporter. The result was:-
780 votes against the building of the proposed hotel with 13 votes for building the proposed hotel.
This was a huge majority in our favour so we feel that it is a worthwhile project to proceed with. We hope that people of South Tyneside will feel that they are able to support any future event to help us save our beautiful coastline and protect Gypsies Green Stadium from any further developement.

Open Meeting

2007-10-31T19:10:00.000Z

An open meeting of 'Save Gypsies Green Stadium' group will be held on Thursday November 8th 2007 in the New Crown Hotel at 7.00pm. It will take place in the big room looking out on to Mowbray Road. Everyone is welcomed.

Council Press Release claims that there was 'extensive public consultation.'

2007-10-03T20:24:00.000+01:00

A trawl of the South Tyneside website produced this result. Below is their press release announcing the hotel development.

South Tyneside Council
Press releases
9 Aug 2007
Landmark Luxury Hotel Planned For South Shields

"The regeneration of South Shields Foreshore has taken a major step forward after South Tyneside Council appointed Tavistock Leisure Ltd as its preferred developer for a £15 million luxury hotel and conference venue, which will be the largest facility of its kind in the region."

It goes on ...

"A Foreshore Working Group, chaired by the Council's Deputy Leader, Councillor Iain Malcolm, was set up three years ago to oversee any projects for the area. It carried out extensive public consultation with local residents, sports, heritage and business organisations before determining that a high-quality hotel would be the preferred development option for the stadium site." More ...

But it appears as though many signing the petition are unaware that a public consultation took place, never mind an 'extensive one.'

Perhaps Councillor Iain Malcolm can explain if this consultation was the extensive one that was referred to here ... 'Last Call for Gypsies Green Ideas' ....in 2004 ... some 3 years ago!!!

Councillor Iain Malcolm's contact details are here but he does hold surgeries where concerned constituents can go and raise matters:

"I usually hold my ward surgeries every Saturday morning 10 am – 11 am Horsley Hill Community Centre, Horsley Hill Square, South Shields and last Saturday of every month 10 am – 11 am Euryalus Court, Bamburgh Avenue, South Shields. Please check individual dates and times with Dorothy Willcock, Members Support Officer on 0191 424 7302 or at dorothy.willcock@southtyneside.gov.uk "

Democracy in action ... pop along and see him and ask about the consultation.

The battle begins for Gypsies Green

2007-09-28T23:27:00.001+01:00

Shields Gazette
28th September 2007
By Paul Myles-Kelly

A FIGHTBACK against the sell-off of Gypsies Green Stadium was launched today.
The Gypsies Green Action Group has been formed to oppose plans to build a £15m hotel and conference centre on South Shields seafront.A website address has been set up so people can log on and sign an online protest petition.And group members will be out in force with the petition on Sunday at the finishing line of the Great North Run on the seafront.

A website address has been set up so people can log on and sign an online protest petition.

And group members will be out in force with the petition on Sunday at the finishing line of the Great North Run on the seafront.

Meanwhile, a veteran protester has been brought on board to help guide the group's campaign.Neil Herron, chief campaigner of the Metric Martyr pressure group, has been advising members on how to proceed with their fight.

Dozens of residents gathered at the New Crown Hotel in South Shields this week to express their dismay at the hotel plans .

One of the group founders, Bill Hepburn, who lives near to the stadium on The Broadway, said:

"Gypsies Green is an asset to the town. It is synonymous with South Shields. "The 50,000 runners taking part in the Great North Run, whether they are from China or Canada, know that Gypsies Green is in South Shields. "We can't just throw that away. Once that view is lost we will not be able to get it back."

One of the suggestions mooted at the meeting was to upgrade the sporting facilities at complex.

Retired Mr Hepburn said:

"People are incensed at the blasè way the council is pushing this through."Do we really need a four-star hotel in the town? Is the clientele there for
a four star hotel? I don't think so."

Mr Hepburn also called on any sporting clubs that are interested in utilising the stadium – or have been blocked from using it in the past – to e-mail the group with details.

Work on the 104-bed hotel, housing one of the biggest conferencing centres in North East England, could start early next year – with completion earmarked for summer 2009.
Sale of the land to Tavistock Leisure Limited was agreed at a meeting of the council's decision-making cabinet in August. But the new protest group plans to present a robust case against the scheme when the council's planning committee debates the issue.

Mr Herron said:

"I think the protesters have a very good case, and I'm glad to be able to use my experiences in the past to help point them in the right direction."

To sign the group's protest petition log on to
www.gypsiesgreen.blogspot.com.

Last Updated: 28 September 2007 12:48 PM

Local MP currently unavailable for comment

2007-09-28T23:11:00.000+01:00

David Milband who is rumoured to be the MP for South Shields is currently unaware of the South Shields uprising over the Gypsies Green development proposals having been distracted with 'foreign affairs.'

It is reported in the Times of India that jet setting Miliband is all set to meet Hollwood heartthrob and UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie in New York. More ...

I am sure that he can't wait to get back to South Shields to engage with his constituents.

However, as he is a keen blogger perhaps you should all drop him a note by posting on his blog here

Gypsies Green Action Group spokesman on BBC Radio Newcastle

2007-09-28T08:44:00.000+01:00

Spokesman Graham Hunt increased the profile of the campaign this morning with a very clear and clinical criticism of the council's proposals on the BBC Radio Newcastle Mike Parr Breakfast programme.

The council spokesman floundered and was forced to say that the current proposal for a grass roof for the five storey development may change post planning. He avoided the question of locating the development on another site, preferably a brownfield site and sidestepped the point as to which members of the public had been consulted, claiming that there had beed widespread consultation.

The absence of politicians supporting the proposals was significant. Normally they would be champing at the bit but perhaps they have had a shock at the level and speed of opposition.

The intention is now to maximise the profile of the campaign and get as many signatures as possible on the petition which can be signed online (see top right of blog) or a version can be sent by e-mail to print off and hand round.

With the Great North Run finishing line being yards away from the proposed development we are sure that everyone taking part in the event will want to continue to enjoy the uniterrupted views up the coast rather than a concrete desecration of the beautiful coastline.

Simply e-mail Graham Hunt for more details and a petition form ... huntghuk@hotmail.com

Public Meeting today at South Tyneside Town Hall

2007-09-27T10:45:00.000+01:00

The proposals are to be discussed today before the Council at a public meeting which will take place at the Town Hall in Fowler Street.

The meeting begins at 3pm and GGAG members will be present.

Gypsies Green Action Group GGAG launches

2007-09-27T09:17:00.000+01:00

At a well attended public meeting last night at the Crown Hotel South Shields the Gypsies Green Action Group was formed by the residents of South Shields opposed to the South Foreshore Hotel Development at Gyspsies Green Stadium, South Shields,

Over 60 people expressed their concerns at the lack of public consultation regarding the proposed sale of the land belonging to the residents and ratepayers of South Tyneside and their opposition to the extrusive development which will detract from rather than add to the amenity of the area.