TAMESIDE Council has been urged to take a ‘no brainer’ and hand a surplus piece of Denton land to the town’s Scouts.
The authority says it is looking to dispose where Stepping Stones Pre-School once stood on St Anne’s Road.
But rather than just take the money from the highest bidder, it has been told to think about the community benefits, which leaders say would far outweigh the financial gain.
Chris Dennis, on behalf of the 4th Denton Scouts, said: “Our aim is basically to build a Scout hut, but also as a community resource as well.
“One that provides space for people to rent out for some children’s parties, Neighbourhood Watch can come along and have their meeting. Somewhere in the middle of this estate that’s accessible and everybody can use it.
“This is a rare opportunity to create a lasting community asset for local young people and residents.
“I don’t know what a piece of land is worth without planning permission, potentially £100,000?
“But the value for future generations, for young people, of making it for community use is probably priceless. It may be a quick win for the council but allowing it for community use will boost the area far greater than any financial reward.
“At a time when outdoor space and facilities for young people are increasingly limited, we believe the former nursery site could provide a safe place where future generations can learn new skills, improve wellbeing, build confidence, make friends and develop a sense of belonging.
“We need some outdoor space – there’s outdoor space there. Our numbers have probably doubled in recent years and we meet at Denton Wellness Centre.
“Obviously, it’s a great space. It’s modern, it’s got air conditioning, it’s got TV screens and things, but there’s absolutely no outdoor space there for us to use.
“Fundamentals for Scouts are things like fire lighting and outdoor space when they’re out and about.
“The nursery site has fencing up, it’s getting overgrown, it’s basically going to rack and ruin. It’s just dead space really.”
Now they have designs for that ‘’dead space,’ 4th Denton Scouts say they have approached Tameside Council with their proposals.
But to say they are frustrated with their response is an understatement.
Mr Dennis added: “We’ve expressed an interest in the past on a few occasions and you know, it’s just frustrating to be totally honest with you.
“And a number of people told us they were unaware that the site was due to be sold.
“We recently lodged a formal complaint with the council regarding the lack of response to our attempts to engage about the future of the site.
“When the nursery closed in 2021, we actually spoke with its owner, and with the people taking it over.
“She wanted us to buy a cabin, which wasn’t much use to us, but I contacted the council to see whether there was an opportunity for us to look at it or do something like an Asset of Community Value transfer.
“We approached the council again, and said, ‘Is it still available? We’re still very, very interested.’
“Then we discovered they have decided they would sell the land.
“I sent an email to the chief executive of the council and the leader of the council, saying, ‘I sent this letter 12 months ago. I’ve had nothing back and we’d really like to talk.’ Then we found out that they’d decided to sell it.
“We’ve had no consideration or discussion. One of our parents managed to engage with the deputy leader of the council, Cllr Andrew McLaren.
“However, I asked to raise a formal complaint, but there was no response to that, so I went and raised a complaint on their web form and submitted a Freedom of Information request, just to find out what steps they have perhaps taken to ensure that the space was used productively.
“Also one seeking information about the decision-making process and any consultation that took place with residents, community organisations or other interested parties before the decision to sell was made.”
4th Denton Scouts, which boasts at least 100 members, has now launched a campaign called A Place to Belong to try and secure the land.
Explorer Scouts distributed flyers throughout the St Anne’s Estate and spoke with a number of local residents who were unaware of the proposed sale.
Mr Dennis told The Correspondent: “We’ve started a petition and got more than 100 signatures on this estate where we’ve got 200-300 houses.
“It’s fairly indicative that there’s a strong sense of feeling that actually something could be better than that.
“We’re not opposed to development or investment in Denton. However, we believe that before this land is lost forever, there should be a genuine conversation about whether it could deliver greater long-term value as a community asset for local young people and residents.”