I thought you might be interested in finding out which sites in Winnersh Wokingham Borough Council intends to sell for development.

The list of “Estimated Capital Receipts” for the whole Borough was published in the agenda for the Executive meeting of 27th October 2011, on p 121.  You can find the agenda here: http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/council/minutes-agendas/agenda-and-minutes/2011meetings/

In Winnersh and Sindlesham the sites are:

– Sindlesham School (phase 2)    Sindlesham School used be where Wheatsheaf Close now is, on Mole Road as you leave Sindlesham for Arborfield.  The Council still owns a small part of the school site, having sold the rest for the development of Wheatsheaf Close.  The Council expects to receive £500,000 for the site in 2013/14.

– Bearwood Primary School    If the planning application to put 400 houses at Hatch Farm Dairies goes ahead (and it is up for decision on 16th November), the developer and the Council will jointly provide a new primary school on that site, which is off King Street Lane near the motorway bridge.  The current Bearwood Primary School will then no longer be required.  Part of the building is Grade II listed, and it is within the Sindlesham Conservation Area.  Both of those things restrict the sort of development which can be put on the site.  The Council expects to receive £750,000 for the site in 2014/15.

– Grounds Maintenance Unit    This is the land on the left as you drive into Woodward Close (Winnersh Farm).  The Council has made a number of attempts to sell it for development in the past, but it is blighted by noise from the M4, which severely restricts what can be put on it.  The Council would still like to sell it for development, but have not set a date or estimated a price.

–Winnersh Farm     This is the land around the British Legion.  The Council is putting it forward for a large amount of housing development – yet the site is affected by flooding, motorway noise, and poor access points, as well as being outside the development limits.  Nevertheless, the Council expects to sell it for £2 million in 2014/15.

Now we all know the Council is short of money and I think we can all understand the need for the Council to make the best use of its assets.  So, for example, if there is a new primary school, a small amount of development on the current Bearwood Primary School site could be made to be acceptable, especially if the proceeds were going to be reinvested in education.  

But the idea of making money by putting several hundred houses around the British Legion – on a site that in my view would not meet the Council’s own criteria for allowing development – is a whole different kettle of fish. 

The Council has printed this table and the Executive accepted it on 27th November.  So this must be what they are intending to try and do.  But at the same time, the Council is part way through the process of deciding which sites across the Borough are suitable for housing development between now and 2026.  All four of these sites have been put forward for assessment as part of that process.  I think it looks very bad to publish a table of sites the Council expects to sell for development while the process of assessing their suitability for development is still going on.

I have already commented on all the sites in Winnersh, and objected very strongly to the Winnersh Farm proposal.    The public will have a chance to comment on the sites at a later stage – originally this was going to happen before the end of 2011.  I have now heard that it has been put back to February 2012.   

I would not expect Winnersh Farm to pass the development tests and so it should be rejected for development.  I will be watching like a hawk to make sure the prospect of making £2 million does not influence the decision in any way.

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