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Save Our Park

Persuasive Writing

Foundation

25 minutes

Independent

FSCE

The Prompt

“The local council plans to build a car park where your favourite park currently stands. Write a persuasive letter to the council explaining why the park should be saved.”

Planning Hints

5 tips to help you plan your response

Use the correct letter format (address, date, Dear Sir/Madam, Yours faithfully).

Explain what the park means to the community — use specific examples.

Appeal to emotions (children playing, families gathering) and logic (health, environment).

Suggest an alternative location for the car park.

Be polite but firm.

Starter Sentences

Suggested opening lines to get you started

“I am writing to express my strong objection to the proposed development of Meadow Lane Park.”

“Parks are not empty land waiting to be used. They are already being used — by everyone.”

“Before you approve this proposal, I ask you to visit Meadow Lane Park on a Saturday afternoon.”

Key Techniques to Demonstrate

Techniques the examiner will be looking for in your response

Annotated Model Answer

A high-quality example response with techniques highlighted

15 Orchard Close Westbury Wiltshire BA13 3PQ 4th March 2026 Dear Councillors, I am writing to express my strong objection to the proposed development of Meadow Lane Park into a car park. I believe this plan would cause lasting damage to our community, and I urge you to reconsider. Meadow Lane Park is not an empty space. It is the heart of Westbury. On any given afternoon, you will find children playing on the climbing frame, dog walkers following the woodland path, and elderly residents sitting on the benches donated by families who loved this place enough to leave their mark on it. To replace this with tarmac and parking meters would be to tell every one of those people that their happiness matters less than a convenient place to leave a car. The environmental impact must also be considered. The park contains over forty mature trees, including an oak that a local historian estimates to be over two hundred years old. These trees provide habitat for birds, bats, and insects. They clean our air, reduce flooding, and offer shade in summer. Once felled, they cannot be replaced — not in our lifetime, and not in our children's. Furthermore, Westbury already has two car parks within a five-minute walk of the high street, neither of which is full on an average day. The demand for additional parking has not been demonstrated. If the council believes more parking is needed, I would respectfully suggest the disused warehouse site on Bridge Road as a far more suitable location — one that would bring development to a neglected area without destroying a beloved green space. Parks are not luxuries. In a time when childhood obesity is rising, when mental health support is stretched, and when communities are increasingly disconnected, green spaces like Meadow Lane are more important than ever. They are places where children run, where neighbours meet, where the simple act of sitting under a tree can make a difficult day bearable. I ask you, sincerely, to visit the park before making your decision. Walk through it. Listen to the birds. Watch the children. And then ask yourselves: is this really something we can afford to lose? Yours faithfully, Zara Ahmed Age 11, Westbury Primary School

Hover or tap the highlighted phrases to see the technique and explanation

Techniques Used in This Answer

Metaphor

Emotive Language

Contrast

Repetition

Formal Register

Short Sentences

Imperative Verbs

Ready to Write?

Practice this prompt under timed conditions, just like the real exam. You have 25 minutes.

Planning Templates

Suitable for persuasive writing

Persuasive Writing Frame

A structure for persuasive articles, speeches, and letters. Organises your argument logically.

4 steps|3-5 minutes

Marking Focus Areas

organisation

vocabulary

grammar

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