Priory Car Park Confusion
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
Plans to build a car park at Lancaster Priory have ended up in a legal muddle. Planning permission was granted without the Council being aware that the land was protected by the Open Spaces Act. Local residents who objected to the scheme applied for Town Green status for the area and it was at the hearing that the Open Spaces designation was uncovered. The legal team at the council is now trying to unravel the situation. But, for the time being at least, no work should start on the car park.
The new play area in Greaves Park has been so popular that the paths to and through it became very muddy over the winter. The City Council has now installed some properly-surfaced paths to address this problem.
Canal corridor developers Centros Miller have admitted that their plans had hit the buffers in Lancaster. In an 
Over 100 people attended Lancaster Holocaust Memorial Day events at the Town Hall in Lancaster on Thursday 24th January. Candles were lit for the various group persecuted and murdered by the Nazi regime; Jews, Roma & Gypsies, gay men and lesbians, people with disabilities, political activists, and those targeted for their religious beliefs.
Lancaster City Council’s Homeless Shelter failed to open in time for Christmas leaving vulnerable young people sleeping rough over the holiday period. The shelter, a joint project between the Council & the YMCA was due to open back in September, But delays in building works mean it is still closed.
The City Council has finally acted against car drivers who have been using the corner of St. George’s Quay and Damside Street as a makeshift car park. After months of complaints from passers by and local businesses, John Foster of Lancashire County Engineers has confirmed to local councillor Jon Barry, who acted on the complaints, that bollards are to be placed on the corner to prevent vehicles parking. City Councillors have long wanted to prevent parking on the corner but according to County staff, identifying who owned the land was one reason for a delay to something being done.
A fantastic new children’s play area has now been completed at Greaves Park, between the Greaves Park hotel and the A6. Funding for the play area, which replaces the worn-out swings and seesaw at Parkfield, was raised by Friends of Greaves Park Community group FoGP was set up by local residents including Abi Mills and Green councillor for Scotforth West, Emily Heath. Abi Mills said: “I am delighted the play area is now in place. The new facility has been warmly welcomed by local families who I am sure will make good use of it.”
Lancaster City Council Cabinet member Maia Whitelegg enjoyed a welcome mug of steaming chocolate after completing a charity swim in lake Windermere for the ‘Don’t Duck The Issue’ campaign. Along with 64 other swimmers Maia, who holds the Cabinet post with responsibility for Young People, raised over £8,500 on the day towards funding for an emergency shelter for homeless young people in Lancaster. 
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