Within days of being launched, a petition calling on B&NES Council to withdraw woodland in Keynsham from being sold for a development has been signed by more than 600 people.
The online petition has been started by Snapdragons Nursery which is based at Ellsbridge House on Bath Road, and shares an access with the 0.7 acre wooded site which is due to come up for auction at Savills in London on 31st March with a guide price of £27,000.
Snapdragons say: “We have told the council on many occasions that we would very much like to buy the land for the benefit of the children, both at the nursery and from the local area, so that they have access to the woodland.
“Unfortunately they are intent on selling the adjacent land for development and we are concerned about the impact on children’s safety and wellbeing.
“The boundary of the land is directly on the left of our driveway and any new owner would have right of access across the drive and need to share the entrance, something which would compromise the safety of all who use it.
“We believe that a storage business has expressed an interest and this would necessitate large lorries with containers negotiating the driveway.”
The petition calls on the council to: “Permanently remove the woodland adjacent to Ellsbridge House in Keynsham from being sold for development and preserve the natural space for the use of local children.”
Among those to put their name to the petition is Dario Calderon, from Saltford. He said: ”It’s unfortunate that many of the green areas that surround Saltford and Keynsham are being auctioned off to the higher bidder; who more often than not, plan to strip it of its natural environment.
“This woodland, in particular, resides next to a nursery who have done a wonderful job of providing the children a sense of being one with nature, something which appears to be so difficult nowadays.
“The nursery should be given priority for this area not only to allow them to continue to promote this, but also to prevent the children from being put in any danger. The driveway is constantly being used by pedestrians, which predominantly consists of children of all ages.
“The idea of them sharing the driveway with delivery vehicles of all sorts seems like an incredibly dangerous thing to do.”
Another, Faye Ryan, said: “Does every plot of green land really need to be turned in to a development? It seems such a shame to take it away from the children, especially when Snapdragons are offering to buy it.”
And Alison Devonshire wrote: “Brownfield sites should be built on not on woodlands. The council should preserve this woodland and not pass planning application at the peril of the woodland.”
It is understood some of the trees on the site have preservation orders.
See the petition at http://tinyurl.com/n5klbrb
