Cessnock Council votes to exclude Jacobs Park, Pelaw Main from rezoning proposal

Jacobs Park in Abermain Street was listed as one of seven parcels of council-owned land being considered for reclassification under a draft planning proposal by Cessnock City Council.

If reclassified from community to operational land, the park could potentially have been rezoned to low-density residential, with a minimum lot size of 450m2 (approximately 29 lots).

But residents sprung into action to keep the park in community hands, a move supported by the council at last week's meeting.

Established by Frederick and Eva Jacobs more than 100 years ago, Jacobs Park is regularly used by the school for sports activities (as it is more suitable than the school's sloping site), and is its emergency evacuation assembly point, and is used by local residents for passive recreation.

When Rowena and Nigel Boughton (whose property shares a boundary with the park) received notification from the council that the land could potentially be rezoned, they did a letterbox drop to spread the word, and momentum for the campaign built quickly.

A Facebook page was created on May 11, and residents were urged to lodge submissions and contact their councillors to object to the proposal.

A joint notice of motion by councillors Anne Sander and Allan Stapleford, requesting the park be excluded from the planning proposal, was supported at last Wednesday's council meeting.

The Boughtons and the school's P&C president, Kim Snedden were pleased with the council's support, and thanked the community for getting behind the campaign.

"We were very fortunate to nip this in the bud early, and that the councillors were empathetic to our plight," Ms Snedden said.

"Jacobs gave this land to the community, it's not the council's to give away," Ms Boughton said.

"We hope that everyone gets to enjoy it for another hundred years."

Council also asked the general manager to Department of Education and Pelaw Main Public School about entering into discussions with council about the ongoing use of Jacobs Park by the school and the possibility of entering into a lease or maintenance agreement for the site.

In their notice of motion, councillors Sander and Stapleford suggested for the lease agreement to include that the school maintains this area with a "peppercorn rent", possibly $10 per year.

Cr Sander said it was an "oversight" that Jacobs Park was included in the proposal, as it was simply listed as 9 Abermain Street, Pelaw Main.

Councillor Jay Suvaal said the situation has been "a learning experience for the school, and for the council".

"We should name the park rather than just the address, and inform the broader community, not just the neighbours," he said.

Cr Stapleford said users groups should also inform council if they regularly use land, so it doesn't become identified as surplus to community needs.

Cr Sander said Victoria Park in Water Street, Greta was also part of the planning proposal, but could also potentially come back to council for exclusion.

The other sites listed for reclassification under the planning proposal include 10 Redgrove Court and 45 Yates Street, East Branxton; 1A Lee-Ann Crescent, Cessnock; 10 Embelton Street and 85 Swanson Street, Weston (the latter being part of Varty Park).