'Save our green space,' campaigners urge council

Residents of a market town are campaigning against plans to sell an overgrown area of land for housing.

The land in Driffield, which is owned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC), has been earmarked for development.

A spokesperson for the council said it would "consider" offers and any proceeds would be invested back into communities.

But the Friends of Driffield Sustainable Park want the land to be given to the town and preserved as an environmentally focused green space. They are due to stage a protest on Sunday at 14:00 GMT.

According to the campaigners, the three-acre piece of land, behind Lockwood Street, is one of the few green spaces in Driffield and home to bats, slow-worms and newts.

A sale would prioritise "short-term financial gain" over the "long-term benefits of a nature-focused park", they said.

Richard Phillips, who chairs the campaign group, described the council's decision as "appalling".

"There's no absolute imperative to start building on pieces of land like this. Once this sort of thing is built on, we'll never get it back," he said.

Mr Phillips argued that the land could become a "quiet and tranquil space" benefiting schools, as well as older people.

"Mental health is a big issue and it would be great to have somewhere for people to go that's quiet. We haven't got anything like that at all," he said.

In August 2024, the government announced new targets for the number of homes that councils must approve to be built.

ERYC has an annual target of 1,924. According to data analysed by BBC Verify, the authority has authorised an average of 1,941 a year since 2021, including 2,401 in the year to March 2024.

The campaigners have organised a demonstration at the park on Sunday to "let the council know of the local support for it".

They said they had invited MP Charlie Dewhirst, who represents Bridlington and the Wolds, to attend.

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