Sewage pump plan angers scouts

Alexandra Wood

SCOUTS are up in arms at proposals to build a sewage pumping station in front of their headquarters.

1st Hornsea Scout Group – which is celebrating its centenary this year – is based off Trinity Road, in Hornsea, on land which the council owner has earmarked for three new council houses.

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To develop them and seven more opposite, East Riding Council is also proposing a pumping station on the path to their hut.

Scoutleaders say the proposals show a “lack of vision” because of the siting of the station and the fact the housing will swallow up most of the play area currently used by scouts and other local children.

Chairman Steve Smyth said they’d been put “over a barrel” because the lease for the land was up for renewal next year and had been told it was “inextricably linked” with the development going ahead.

He said: “We came to the same opinion that apathy is not an option. We are happy for a sustainable development for housing but we are not happy that this is the reduction of open space where children can play and develop.

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“We teach a lot of life skills – they are taught to communicate, integrate, respect and to socialise, not only with each other, but other people as well.

“They were hoping we wouldn’t object but I am saying we had to go with our convictions on this. We feel that there is a lack of future vision for youth in our community.”

The scheme is part of a 33m house-building programme being undertaken by the council. But the projects have to meet a tight deadline – some have to begin by March and be completed by the following year to comply with the funding rules.

Several have run into controversy with complaints that applications were “slipped in” over the Christmas holidays.

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The proposal in Hornsea comes just a year after the council controversially decided to sell a school in Cottingham to a religious sect, ignoring pleas from scouts and guides. The youth groups wanted to use it for their headquarters after their base was demolished in 2007 by the council to make way for the new school. The scouts and guides now have to meet in different locations and say it makes communications and co-ordination of activities “very difficult.”

Trevor Brigham, of the Cottingham Guides and Scouts Building Committee, said: “We feel very sympathetic. With more careful planning they should be able to avoid compromising the scouts’ facility.”

Town councillors voted unanimously against the proposals at a meeting of Hornsea Town Council. The application will be heard by councillors in Beverley in around three weeks time.

Coun Barbara Jefferson said talks were with the council to try to resolve the situation were continuing.

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Coun Jefferson said: “We all decided it was a ridiculous idea and therefore it was unanimously refused.”

She said town councillors were unhappy that the plots for three of the seven houses opposite would be sold off to private developers to generate a capital receipt.

She said: “It (the pumping station) is hardly a decorative thing and it is on the main road going down to Hornsea Burton primary school and the seafront.”

The pumping station will be largely underground but will have a raised manhole, vent pipe and control panel above ground and will be surrounded by a fence.

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The scout group has 85 children, aged six to 18, on its roll.

East Riding Council said: “The council is in discussions with the scouts about the housing scheme near the scout hut aimed at agreeing terms of a new lease that will give them long-term security. These discussions are very positive.”

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