Saint-Owen — Glorionis Premier Madeline Chalke is facing mounting pressure over plans to sell a historic public estate to a property development company with close ties to her Sanctarian Conservative Party, following a demonstration attended by thousands of protesters.
The 180-acre Westmere Estate, on the outskirts of Saint-Owen, has been publicly owned for more than a century, with its gardens, woodland trails, and open parkland attracting visitors from across the region. The state government last month announced that it intended to sell the estate as part of a programme to dispose of surplus public property, arguing that the proceeds could be better spent on housing and public infrastructure.
However, opposition to the proposal intensified after documents obtained by local campaigners identified Ashcombe Developments as the government’s preferred purchaser. Two members of the company’s board have previously held senior positions within the SCP, while a third made substantial donations to the party during the last state election. Campaigners have questioned whether the company received preferential treatment during the bidding process, although no evidence of wrongdoing has been established.
“We’re being asked to give up something that has belonged to the public for generations, and nobody can give us a straight answer about why this particular company should get it,” said Nadia Kourakis, a spokesperson for the Save Westmere campaign. Protest organisers estimated that more than 6,000 people attended Saturday’s demonstration outside the Glorionis State Assembly. Police have not released an official figure.
The controversy has also reached the State Assembly, where opposition deputies have demanded the publication of all bids received for the estate and correspondence between government officials and Ashcombe Developments. Premier Chalke defended the proposed sale, insisting that the estate’s maintenance costs had become increasingly difficult to justify, saying “We have a responsibility to make sensible decisions about public assets. The proceeds from this sale will support services that people across Glorionis rely upon.”
Ashcombe Developments has denied receiving favourable treatment and said its proposal would preserve substantial areas of publicly accessible green space while introducing residential and commercial development.
For campaigners, however, assurances about future access have done little to ease concerns that the estate could be permanently changed. The government has not announced a date for finalising the sale, while organisers have pledged further demonstrations unless the proposal is withdrawn.
SOULLA WILDE, Political Correspondent
