Labour & Tories support sale of Parklands Playing Field

10.05.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd May 2008

A Liberal Democrat motion to Northamptonshire County Council welcoming the government's decision to refuse sale of Parklands playing fields for housing and calling on the government to fund any shortfall in the PFI programme caused was defeated with both the Labour and Conservatives voting against it.

Labour councillor Mark Bullock as the only Labour councillor who spoke said that the County should continue to press for development on all the sites. The Tories said nothing meaningful. Brian Binley MP had said publicly earlier in the day that he hoped our motion would be carried but was not there for the vote.

Commenting on the decision Councillor Richard Church (Liberal Democrat - Kingsley) said: "Labour and Tory councillors have rejected a request for them to welcome the retention of Parklands playing fields for local people. Lib Dem councillors had pressed the council to welcome the retention of the playing fields and to press the government to ensure that the finance for the new schools was in place, so Northampton School for Girls could be guaranteed funding for a new gymnasium."