The clue is in the name - ‘common’

Two things struck me as contentious regarding the meeting of district councillors on November 19 about St Mary’s Lands (Courier November 21).

Firstly council leader Andrew Mobbs declaring that claims and counter claims were becoming farcical. For his information the biggest farce about it is that such a meeting was necessary at all. We are not talking of some weed-strewn area alongside a derelict factory, but our lovely green field common - our common, Warwick people’s common. This land was bequeathed to Warwick people 800 years ago and at the last public inquiry held regarding development proposals (from the usual source), the chairman of that inquiry closed it by stating ‘Warwick common is the people’s common to be used by them for their recreation and enjoyment’.

He further stated that ‘there was to be no commercial development whatsoever’. His name was Sir Desmond Heap and I was there.

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Secondly Cllr Mobbs referred to opponents of development being a relatively small group of people living nearby. Just what school did he go to? How long has a petition of 1,200 signatures been small, Mr Mobbs? The whole of Warwick is incensed by any talk of more development on the common, and a 10,000 name petition attainable.

To wrap it up, Can I ask one pertinent question? Just what is it that some councillors don’t understand about the term ‘common land’? To me it conveys just what it says on the tin. Nothing else.

Mick Cole, The Square, Kenilworth