PORT MEADOW

The meeting at the Town Hall, on November 24th 1986 was called by the City Council to discuss publicly the situation concerning Mr. Crittenden's building operations at the Medley Boat Station. As we know, he did the work and then applied for permission from the Council and the Council, instead of telling him to put it back to what it was before, began negotiating. Public outcry resulted in an appeal to the Secretary of State who appears to have backed Mr. C. to some extent in that he agreed to a large amount of boat fuel being stored on the meadow, along with a car park for boat users. There was mention of a possible 125 year lease at a rent of £5.00 a year. What worries people is that if such an agreement is reached the business could then be sold off, or more of the meadow could be pressed into use with fences, etc. over a period of time. The meadow is unique in this country in that it is the largest unploughed meadow of its kind with rare plants preserved from hundreds of years back. It is of national importance and we should treat it as such not as the old rubbish dump which Mr. Crittenden believes it to be!