QUESTIONS have been raised as to why senior officers at Durham Police have entered the debate over the future of green space outside the former station, in Bede Kirk, Barnard Castle.
The force is hoping to sell both the station building and adjacent area for housing development, while Barnard Castle Town Council is leading a campaign to protect the space as a designated green.
The tactics of the police came under scrutiny at this month’s town council meeting after firstly chief constable Mike Barton warned residents it was a choice between “cops or a copse” if he did not get his way and then assistant chief officer Gary Ridley accused those campaigning for the green of “appearing to be nimbies” .
At this month’s town council meeting, Cllr Richard Child said he was surprised by the police officers’ comments on the issue, adding that they were “ill-advised” .
He also questioned why serving officers had waded into the debate.
“If anybody was going to do that, it would be the police and crime commissioner, not police officers,” he said.
Mayor Cllr Sandra Moorhouse added: “It has not been handled well by the police.”
A decision on whether to designate Bede Kirk as a town green was put on hold by Durham County Council’s highways committee after further evidence of its use as a leisure area was submitted by the town council the day before the meeting.
A decision will now be made on Friday, May 11. In the meantime the highways committee said no more evidence could be submitted.
Cllr Moorhouse said attempts were being made for the May 11 meeting to be held in Barnard Castle and for members of the highways committee to visit Bede Kirk.
“It would be a really good idea for them to see the site. A lot of them had no idea of what it is like at all,” she said.
