Closed petition Ban councils from selling recreational open space without a public mandate

Closed on 17 June 2016

This petition asks for an amendment to the law, prohibiting councils from selling recreational open spaces without first holding a local referendum and securing a majority vote in favour. Open spaces are for the benefit of all and it is the public who should hold a power of veto over their disposal.

The current right to challenge does not go far enough since it requires community groups to purchase open spaces in order to save them. This is unfair and puts the public at a disadvantage, effectively playing them off against commercial purchasers who can easily afford to outbid them. This proposal would ensure that no open space could be sold off unless the public considered it surplus to requirements.