Protest over homes plan

Persimmon, one of the country’s biggest house builders has submitted plans to Scarborough Council to construct 54 dwellings on land off Lady Edith’s Drive and Throxenby Lane.

Now residents have formed a community group to oppose the plans.

They are calling on all people in Scarborough to step up and support the campaign to protect the town’s open spaces.

Charles Betty, chairman of the Residents of Throxenby against Development on Lady Edith’s Drive Group, said: “To us, the residents around Throxenby Lane and Lady Edith’s Drive this green field is a set of lungs; a gateway to the countryside, a light-filled local space, the reason we moved here.

“To the many people who use Lady Edith’s Drive to walk their dogs, ride horses and bikes or just have a gentle walk to Raincliffe Woods and Throxenby Mere, the field is a local amenity, a restful place for the eye and soul.

“To the wildlife around the area, the field with its pond is a place of haven, a home or a well-trodden path within a traditional territory.

“What is that field worth to the people of Scarborough? In a town built and latterly most dependent on tourism, the field in question is a welcome mat for tourists, who drive along the picturesque route into Scarborough from the National Park.

“But to a building company like Persimmon Homes, this field is a pot of gold; an easy place to build on without having to demolish old buildings and without the cost of dismantling existing infrastructure; a site where new buildings can steal the edge of the countryside from the people who live there.

“And if this field in our neighbourhood becomes just another overpriced housing estate, then fellow Scarborians, what will be next?

“Will it be that little plot of green near you?”

The plans can be viewed by visiting www.scarborough.gov.uk.