Disbelief as Council short-listed for Open Space award!

In view of Canterbury City Council's highly controversial decision to sell off Kingsmead Field for housing, there was stunned disbelief when the Council leader announced that the Council had been short-listed for the national Fields in Trust award for 'Landowner of the Year' at the Council meeting on 29 November.

The irony of the award, and the hypocrisy of the Council's self-congratulatory remarks, were picked up instantly by local councillors and reporters from the local press, see article from the Kentish Gazette below.

Nomination for the award was based solely on statistics showing the amount of open space which the Council had designated for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Fields challenge.  No consideration whatsoever was given to the way in which the Council has dealt with other areas of open space in the district, such as the Kingsmead Field.