Salisbury Council votes against selling Neales Green for housing

Two thousand northern residents have won a battle to save a community park from housing.

Residents opposed to the sale of Neales Green included (from left) John Stevens, Keryn Platt, Carol Scott and Cameron Mihajlowitsch. (AAP Image/Sam Wundke)

Salisbury Council has unanimously voted against selling a community park for housing.

The decision followed a community campaign to save Neales Green in Margaret Ave, Salisbury, with more than 2000 people signing a petition.

The campaign gathered momentum when residents learnt council changed the classification for the 9600sq m site early last year.

The revocation of its community land status made it available for residential development.

The site, and portions of land along Brown Terrace and Orange Ave, had been identified as suitable for housing as part of the Salisbury Oval precinct masterplan.

Six Salisbury Council elected members were among those who signed the petition, including four members of its strategic property development sub committee.

The sub committee voted unanimously on August 8 to remove Neales Green “from consideration for residential development and (for) the Salisbury Oval Masterplan (to) be amended accordingly”.

The recommendation was endorsed by the council’s works and services committee before being approved by full council on Tuesday night.

Cr Chad Buchanan told councillors his motion was aimed to “shut the door” on the possibility of Neales Green and the St Jays land being sold.

While he said the about turn might be “embarrassing” for council it was time to return the land back to the community.

“The issue has changed substantially since 2015 (when the masterplan was first mooted), so it is only common sense that, if we are making changes, we go out and talk to the community,” he said.

The idea of “residential parcels” on the old St Jays site and the bowling club land owned by the council – to the north of Neales Green – has also been put on the back burner until there is public consultation regarding the proposed density of housing.

While councillors were vocal in their support for saving Neales Green, the situation was not so clear on housing development in the St Jays area.

Councillor Graham Reynolds said he had spoken to people who were “not unsympathetic” to some sort of housing in the St Jays (Orange Ave) area.

He was backed by councillor Maria Blackmore who said there was a need for more housing in Salisbury.

“That is why, when this goes back out to public consultation, we need people to be part of it.”