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11th June 2007
Meg supports keeping Graves Park green
Heeley MP Meg Munn was surprised to see reported in the press that 'all Sheffield MPs' support the relocation of St Luke's Hospice to the Norton Nursery site at Graves Park. This is incorrect she does not support any such development.
Meg believes that the Norton Nursery site is not appropriate for the hospice, that the site should remain linked to the park as part of Sheffield's 'green lungs'.
She has met with members of 'Friends of Graves Park' and supports their campaign against the relocation of the hospice to the site.
Meg said: "Contrary to what the Chair of St Luke's - Mr Andrew Coombe - has said, and which was reported in the Telegraph last week, I do not support their plans to re-develop the Norton Nursery site. How Andrew Coombe can state 'all Sheffield MPs' support St Luke's is beyond me when they have failed to contact me or my constituency office on this matter. Graves Park is in my constituency, I grew up near the park and walked through it most days to school; I know how important it is to local people and the wider community of Sheffield as a green space. Whilst I appreciate that St Luke's need to expand their services, in my view the Norton Nursery site is the wrong place for development. I urge them to investigate alternative sites which would best fit their needs."
Graves Park was given to the people of Sheffield by JG Graves in 1935 to be used as parkland forever. In keeping with the horticultural theme Norton Nursery was established to grow plants and flowers for the city's parks until 1998 when the nursery fell into disrepair. Recently around £100,000 has been spent on refurbishing the big greenhouse and cleaning up the entire area.
A spokesperson for Friends of Graves Park commented: "10 years ago we fought a similar battle when the City Council attempted to sell Norton Nursery to developers. They were forced to back down under an onslaught of local protest and intervention by the Charity Commission. Our understanding is that the hospice would take the entire area occupied by the nursery along with the reclaimed ecological area plus further land from the park. A new road would bring unwelcome traffic to the area using a road exiting through the housing estate. Our opposition is not with the fact that St Luke's and its valued service has to expand, and that we are somehow against such an organisation relocating to the area; but there are far more suitable sites available. Graves Park is charitable status parkland and has to be preserved for those hundreds of people who visit the park each week and for future generations, as was intended. We are delighted that Meg is supporting us and I hope with her assistance, and others, we can bring this to a successful conclusion."
End
At a recent meeting of Sheffield City Council, the 3 Lib/Dem Councillors for the Graves Park Ward (Ian Auckland, Peter Moore & Bob McCann) raised a motion to abandon any plans to develop Graves Park and for efforts to be put into finding a more suitable site for the hospice.
In the event a counter proposal that it was too early make a decision was voted on. 38 of the 39 Lib/Dems on the council voted for the original motion. The other L/D councillor declaring an interest.
As a result more money will be spent on surveys and plans. It is all very sad because large amounts of money are being squandered on the scheme. Money that could and should be used on patient care. .
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