Decision details

Quarry Park has been enjoyed by members of the public for many years for recreational purposes. Recent improvements to the park including new play equipment and an outdoor gym continues to encourage people to the area, and the park is also very popular with dog walkers. There is pedestrian access to the park off Broadway, Green Road, and off St. James Avenue. Vehicles access the park off St Marys Drive and park in area of land off to the right – please see attached plan. A Certificate of Lawful Use has been issued formalising the planning use of the land as a car park.

The issue lies with the access at the bottom of St Marys Road. The extent of the adopted highway ceases before the car park is reached, there is no registered owner of this land and recent investigations have confirmed that there are no public vehicle access rights across it. It is however a public bridleway, therefore the public are authorised to use it on foot, cycle or horse. Therefore to formalise the Council and the public’s use of this area of land and to enable vehicular access to the car park , the Council will require ownership.

As there is no registered owner and no owner has been identified by the Council’s investigations, the only way the Council can acquire ownership is through the use of CPO powers.

To approve the Council acquisition of a strip of land off St Mary’s Drive, Dunsville using compulsory purchase powers.

Option 1 – recommended
To pursue an acquisition of the land via CPO to formally gain title and the associated access rights required.

Option 2 – not recommended
To do nothing. This would mean that the access track continues to be used unlawfully by vehicles.