29/10/2026
Such a concern that this vital Community Green Space has been put up for Sale by BMBC.
We have lodged this formal complaint on behalf of the Parish Council & Residents. Of course individual letters & email will add weight to the issue.
Please, write your own complaints to relevant BMBC Officers & your locally elect BMBC councillors stating your own objections as copied correspondence is not as impactful.
Email/letter:
GREAT HOUGHTON PARISH COUNCIL
Gail Charlesworth Clerk to the Council
Address: Great Houghton Miners Welfare Hall, Great Houghton, Barnsley
SENT VIA EMAIL AND REGISTERED POST
The Chief Executive & Executive Director of Growth and Sustainability
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
PO Box 634, Barnsley, S70 9GG
Email: Paul Clifford / Sarah Norman / Dan Jarvis
Cc: Ward Councillors (Darfield and Great Houghton Ward)
Date: 29 October 2026
RE: FORMAL OBJECTION – Proposed Disposal and Open Market Sale of Public Open Space / Green Space Asset Off Crabtree Drive and Ashwood Grove, Great Houghton, Barnsley
Dear All.
Great Houghton Parish Council hereby lodges its formal objection to the proposed open-market sale of the public open space/green space plot located between Crabtree Drive and Ashwood Grove, Great Houghton.
As a statutory tier of local government, this Council requests absolute verification that Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC) has strictly adhered to its statutory obligations, internal governance strategies, and transparency parameters prior to placing this asset on the market.
We raise this objection based on the following specific legal and policy grounds:
1. Failure to Account for Existing Vital Community Use and Asset Value
The land off Crabtree Drive is not an idle or surplus asset. It is an actively utilised, vital piece of local community infrastructure.
* Statutory Communication: The land currently hosts the Great Houghton Parish Council Community Noticeboard. This noticeboard is a critical, central point of contact used continuously to inform residents in this specific area about essential local public services, council updates, health resources and community events
* Recreational and Safeguarding Value: This green space is used daily by local families and young people for active outdoor recreation. Because of its specific geography, parents are able to let their children play safely outdoors knowing they are secretly and close to home.
By disposing of this land, BMBC will dismantle a vital local communication hub and eliminate a safe, localised play space, causing direct detriment to the well-being and cohesion of the neighborhood.
1. We believe that there is a breach of Statutory Open Space Disposal Obligations (Section 123, LGA 1972)
Because the land off Crabtree Drive constitutes a public open space with established social, mental, and environmental well-being benefits, BMBC is bound by strict statutory disposal duties. Under Section 123(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972, a principal council cannot dispose of land held as an open space unless they have first:
1. Published a public notice of their intention to dispose of the land for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area.
2. Formally considered any objections or representations received in response to that public notice.
Evidence Required: Great Houghton Parish Council requests immediate evidence of the exact dates these public notices were published, copies of the advertisements, and a copy of the formal review of public representations. If an open-market listing has been executed without fulfilling this statutory consultation, the disposal process is legally flawed.
1. Failure to Comply with the BMBC Asset Management Strategy (2023/24 - 2027/28)
While the Barnsley Council Asset Management Strategy aims for financial rationalisation, it states explicitly that assets must be formally declared "surplus to requirements" by the relevant service department through an asset-informed, service-enabling framework.
* Given the noticeboard infrastructure and daily recreational use, this green space cannot reasonably be demonstrated to be surplus to the community’s requirements.
* Pursuing a maximum cash receipt on the open market completely ignores the "well-being" exemptions outlined in local government codes, which permit deviations up to £2 million below market value if a piece of land explicitly safeguards local social or environmental wellness.
1. Lack of Governance Transparency & Cabinet Forward Plan Verification
Under the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, any disposal of this nature represents a "Key Decision" impacting local communities. It must be published on the Barnsley Council Cabinet Forward Plan at least 28 days before executive approval is voted on.
Formal Information Request: We request that BMBC provide the following transparency markers within 14 days of this letter:
* The exact date and reference number of the Cabinet or Strategic Property Board meeting where this specific parcel of land was approved for disposal.
* A copy of the Officer Delegated Decision Report or Cabinet Minutes detailing the valuation, options appraisal, and justification for declaring this open space surplus.
1. Overriding of Community Asset Priority
By rushing this asset to the open commercial market, BMBC has bypassed meaningful interaction with the Barnsley Council Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy. Great Houghton Parish Council, or an aligned local community group, has been denied a transparent opportunity to formally register an interest to acquire or manage the land via a long-term leasehold to protect the safety of our children and the noticeboard facility from speculative development.
Conclusion and Desired Remedy
Great Houghton Parish Council formally requests that BMBC immediately pause the open-market sale process with commercial agents until the procedural, statutory, and governance verifications detailed above are fully provided to this Council.
Please note that if BMBC fails to demonstrate full statutory compliance under Section 123 of the LGA 1972 or violates its own published corporate governance procedures, this letter will form the core evidential basis for a formal corporate complaint and subsequent referral to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) via affected ward residents.
We await your formal response and the disclosure of the requested Cabinet decision records.
Yours faithfully,
Clerk to Great Houghton Parish Council
On behalf of Great Houghton Parish Council
