SOS UPDATE

Below is the text of a newsletter which will be circulating the Borough in the next few days.

Reproduced re http://gypsiesgreen.blogspot.com/

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