This action is effectively saying that the Council is considering the option of selling Freemen’s Common for housing.
Freemen’s Common was established as Common Land in the late 1700s and is now held in Trust (as “The Freemen’s Common Charity”) for the people of the Borough by the Borough Council. It is managed by the Council’s General Purposes Committee, a group of Councillors who act as Trustees of the charity – we understand that this is a role delegated to them by the Mayor.
The 12.5 hectare area of open countryside on the north-eastern edge of the Bedford town’s urban fringe forms part of a green corridor extending from Clapham all along Bedford’s northern perimeter including Mowsbury Hill Fort, Mowsbury Park, Putnoe Woods then on through the south of Renhold to the River Great Ouse.
Although it can be accessed by public footpaths, the Common, which stretches from the urban edge of Bedford to the top of Cleat Hill, Ravensden, is currently rented out by the Trustees and used as farming land.
A spokesperson from CPRE Bedfordshire said: “Freemen’s Common is a hugely important open green space, with fabulous views over the town and beyond. As the development of new homes around the town increases, these urban green areas are hugely important to residents as places of quiet relaxation. They provide essential refuges for wildlife.
“The future of Freemen’s Common has been veiled in secrecy. Our investigations have shown that the Trustees of the Freemen’s Common Charity who are supposed to act in the best interest of the people of the Borough have done everything to ensure that the public are unaware of their actions.
"We have discovered that for the last 4 years, at every single meeting of The Trustees of The Freemen's Common Charity - from August 2012 until March 2016, members of the public have been excluded from the meetings at the point when items relating to the management of Freemen’s Common were discussed, thereby holding this very important part of their meetings in secret. This is completely unacceptable, totally indefensible and not at all in the public interest.
"We believe that there are many other options for the future use of this land which would enable more public access and improve wildlife and biodiversity including the planting of trees etc. These options need to be discussed in open public debate and should have been from the very outset.
Borough residents have been prevented from debating the future of a hugely important area of Common Land which they effectively own.”
The Council have used Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as a means of excluding the public from meetings of Trustees. In addition, they have used the Act to prevent action groups and individuals from obtaining information regarding the future of the Common, which CPRE Bedfordshire believe they have every right to access.
At the March 2016 Meeting of Trustees, the decision was also taken that the function and assets of the Freemen’s Common Charity should be transferred to “The House of Industry Estate Charity” another Charity administered by the Borough Council. Once again, the Local Government Act 1972 Schedule 12A was used by the Trustees to exclude members of the public from the Meeting whilst this item of business was discussed. This prevented the public from hearing and participating in the discussions regarding the reasons for this important decision.
CPRE Bedfordshire has submitted a Freedom of Information request to Bedford Borough Council in order to obtain a range of papers including the governing documents of The Freemen’s Common Charity but its request has been refused. It intends to appeal this decision.
CPRE Bedfordshire has the following questions for the Mayor who is directly responsible for Freemen’s Common and for the Trustees themselves:
1. Why has the future of Freemen’s Common been shrouded in so much secrecy?
2. Why should the people of Bedford Borough have been excluded from the decision making process regarding the future of Freemen’s Common?
3. Why has the public been excluded from key parts of meetings of the Trustees relating to the management of Freemen’s Common for each of the last 4 years?
4. Why was the decision taken to submit Freemen’s Common as a site for development in Bedford Borough Council’s Local Plan 2035
5. Have the Council and Trustees discussed other options for the future use of Freemen’s Common ? If so, what are they?
6. What is the benefit to the public of transferring the function and assets of the “Freemen’s Common Charity” to “The House of Industry Charity” and why was the public excluded from meetings of the Trustees of the Charity when this item was discussed?
7. In 2008, the Mayor together with the Deputy Mayor Cllr. Charles Royden fought a long battle with the then Borough Council fiercely opposing the sale of Freemen’s Common for housing development (see below) – has The Mayor and his colleague now changed their minds?
NOTES:
1. Details of the 2008 campaign to prevent the sale of Freemen’s Common for housing can be found here:
2. Minutes of meeting of Freemen’s Common Charity can be found here:
http://www.councillorsupport.bedford.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=148&Year=0
3. Link to Bedford Borough Council, Local plan 2035 “Call for Sites” site number 423 - http://edrms.bedford.gov.uk/PlanningBrowse.aspx?id=rJ1wr3TwIe1Gk5sgu%2bukug%3d%3d
4. Map of Freemen’s Common - http://edrms.bedford.gov.uk/OpenDocument.aspx?id=GJFnnHLfhU8zxhDT91NtsQ%3d%3d&name=Land%20at%20Freemens%20Common%20Cleat%20Hill%20Bedford.pdf
