Residents angry at plans to sell land at Central Park

Council say house there has been empty for years

Almost 80 residents opposed Plymouth City Council’s plans to dispose of land in Central Park as part of the proposed sale of Pounds House – a move which a Labour councillor said was “setting a troubling precedent”.

The council says there is “no significant benefit” to keeping the land which represents 0.5 per cent of Central Park when balanced against the ambition to bring the Grade II listed Pounds House back into use after years of lying empty.

It claims that disposing of the land will enable the sale of the house, which has cost taxpayers nearly £500,000 in the past five years. 

But some residents are angry by any loss of public open space in their beloved park.

And local Labour councillor Jeremy Goslin (Peverell) said it risked undermining “the original purpose and public benefit of this beautiful park”.

Concerns were raised that the sale would reduce the area of land available to dog walkers, families, nature lovers and community groups, that it would be harmful to wildlife and it could be used to build houses among other fears.

The council advertised its plans earlier this year and has now made the decision to sell after it said it had taken the objections into consideration.

The land in question is a mix of hard surface to the east of the house, shrubbery and a sloping grassed area to the northwest of the property.

In his objection letter, Cllr Jeremy Goslin said Central Park held a unique place in the life of Plymouth and was created as “a people’s park”—to provide open space for recreation, wellbeing, and community use.

“The park continues to be one of Plymouth’s most valued and widely used public amenities. It serves as a vital green lung in the heart of the city, offering space for exercise, social connection, children’s play, biodiversity, and mental health. Its importance has only grown as the population of Plymouth has increased and as urban green space becomes more scarce and more vital to everyday life.

“The proposed disposal of land within Central Park risks undermining the original purpose and public benefit of this beautiful park. Any reduction in publicly accessible space sets a troubling precedent and weakens the covenant between the city and its residents to protect and maintain this land as a shared civic asset, and is contrary to the trust that the land be used for leisure and improvement of public health.”

Cllr Chris Penberthy (Lab, St Peter and the Waterfront), cabinet member responsible for assets said: “Pounds House has been empty for years, has cost council taxpayers almost £500,000 in the last five years and as we do not have a use for it, we hope someone else will bring it back to life.

“The whole site, including the house, is less than one per cent of the total area of Central Park and given the size of the property and investment needed, it makes sense to have this very small piece of land as part of the package.”

The house and land is expected to be sold at auction in the next few months.

The council received 78 comments by email and objections relating to the loss of public open space which were based around the following themes. Here they are below with the council’s response:

Object to any loss of open space, especially part of Central Park – This land is needed to attract investors. The whole site, including the building, represents just 0.67 per cent of the total area of Central Park. This was deemed an appropriate amount of outdoor space to dispose of with the property.

Harmful to wildlife – Any planning consent for changes to the site will require relevant surveys if necessary.

Will affect users of the doctors’ surgery, other people parking and accessibility to the park – The surgery has its own parking and there is on-street parking nearby. There are other entrances to the park where cars can park.

The space is needed for dog walking, families, nature lovers and community groups and the sale would drastically reduce the area of land available to them – The rest of Central Park is still available. The amount of currently accessible land around the house to disposed of represents less than 0.50 per cent of Central Park

Belief that the land was gifted to the council – The land was acquired at market value in 1927 and not gifted. The council has an absolute freehold registered title and there are no limitations on its ability to dispose of the site.

Concern the land would be used to build houses – This is a relatively small area of land and unlikely to be able to accommodate additional houses however any application would be subject to the necessary planning consents. The land is designated as a Strategic Green Space Site (PLY19) within the Joint Local Plan.

There is no indication that this parcel of land is pertinent to another potential sale of the Grade II listed building known as Pounds House and would have been highly relevant – The notice is titled ‘Land surrounding Pounds House’ and the plan clearly shows the location. The sale of Pounds House has been publicised on social media, the council’s website, local news outlets, in print and online as well as television and radio

The surrounding road network would bring difficulties in respect of traffic generation – Any planning application for a change of use will require consent. Impact on the road network will be considered as part of this process.

Confirm that the council has carried out this public consultation within the scope and obligations of the usual regulations and considerations – As required, notice was given that the council intends to dispose of land, pursuant to Section 123(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Concern about plant species within the land – Horticulturalists will inspect the land and advise of any notable species. If any are identified, a condition can be included in the sale contract requiring that consent is sought for their removal.