Former Mobil site should be park

While we still have not seen the new Peninsula Open Space Plan, we can have no faith in it delivering much-needed local parks and playgrounds for the ever-increasing Peninsula population.

The fact is it can't.

Council has ruled out the purchase of privately-owned land for new open space, yet Mayor Bell in your front page story says "a total of $41 million had been allocated in the draft plan for new parks, open space, development of new playgrounds".

The mayor goes on to name the sites available for new parks or playgrounds, which may or may not ever be available for public open space.

They are two schools, which will need all the space they have to accommodate the increased population, and the Woy Woy tip. What a great place for a play ground, neighbourhood park or the Council works depot.

This ill-conceived plan is a mirror of the Woy Woy pool fiasco, and is being promoted by the same councillors who having proved their incompetence are now seeking re-election, namely Bell, Holstein and Doyle.

So while these councillors promise us adequate new open space and new parks, the reality is that large (or small) blocks on the market will not be considered for acquisition by these people or the new plan.

One obvious example is the former Mobil Service Station site on Blackwall Rd.

Now for sale and ideal in size and situation for a neighbourhood park, this site is to be sold for villa development.

We all know how much open space the typical villa development provides.

Compounding this stupidity, the 20 villas on this site will have to pay near $40,000 for open space contributions while the "new contributions plan" allows for no acquisition of open space.

Under the "new" plan, there is none to buy.

Could it be that this new plan is simply a plan to divert open space contributions to the bungled and over budget pool redevelopment?

Even if a resident wanted to sell his/her property to council for the provision of new open space it would not be possible.

Bryan Ellis, Umina