Canterbury Area Members Panel gives support to Kingsmead Field

Young speakers at the Canterbury Area Members Panel

Five members of the public made presentations about the Kingsmead Field, including two children from a local junior school: Orla Linehan-Fox (10) and Timmy Pettman (11).  Orla asked the councillors what they would have done if they had been her age and there were plans to build on the field where they played: "You would protest like me and try to help keep this green space.  It's not just for me and my friends, but for all the people of the area who live and breathe better because there is a lovely empty green field nearby."

In his presentation to the committee, Dr David Pratt highlighted the huge impact of traffic fumes in an area as congested as Kingsmead: "It is medically well recognised that growth of children's and adolescents' lungs is stunted by traffic pollution... How can yet more housing with its associated traffic be considered before the traffic problems are resolved?"

In an unprecedented display of unanimity on this issue, all Canterbury's own Councillors voted for two cross-party recommendations to be sent to the Council Executive to:

1)     Protect Kingsmead Field as open space

2)     Conduct a new consultation on Kingsmead