Report of Corporate Director for Corporate Services

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate Services which informed Members of the findings and recommendations of the Independent Inspector appointed to conduct the non-statutory Public Inquiry in respect of an application submitted by Mr Lovett, on behalf of Friends of Shoebury Common, for land at Shoebury Common to be registered as a Town or Village Green.  It was made clear that the decision on the application rested with the Committee.

The Committee was informed that:

(a) at the outset of the Public Inquiry the applicant requested to amend the area of the application to exclude those parts of Shoebury Common to the south occupied by buildings/structures and the southern hard surfaced car parking area;

(b) Mr Grubb (on behalf of Friends of Shoebury Common) had since the publication of the Inspector’s report put forward an alternative proposal to register only that part of Shoebury Common to the north of Shoebury Common Road excluding the northern overflow car park.

The Committee also received a supplementary report which outlined the comments made by Mr Lovett and Mr Grubb, on behalf of the Friends of Shoebury Common in respect of the draft report, and the Council’s response to those comments as landowner.  The Committee stood adjourned to enable members of the Committee to read and consider all the information contained in the supplementary report.

The Committee members asked a number of questions which were responded to by officers.

Resolved:

1. That the Independent Inspector’s report be noted.

2. That, having considered the Independent Inspector’s report and all other material considerations, the application dated 22^nd November 2013 submitted by Mr Lovett on behalf of the Friends of Shoebury Common for land at Shoebury Common, Shoebury Common Road, Shoeburyness (and as requested to be amended at the Public Inquiry on 30^th June 2015) to be registered as a Town or Village Green be refused.

3. That the alternative proposal by Mr Grubb on behalf of the Friends of Shoebury Common to register that part of Shoebury Common to the north of Shoebury Common Road (excluding the northern overflow car park) as a Town or Village Green also be refused.

4. That the Council, as Registration Authority, does not include the Application Land or any part of it in its Register of Town and Village Greens.