WOKINGHAM’S park and ride sites are up for review, especially as two are not being used to ferry passengers to town centres.
While Coppid Beech is mothballed, with concrete blocks stopping people from even using the electric car charging points installed on the site, the Thames Valley Park site is being used as a shuttle for NHS staff working at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
But even this could change.
At the meeting of Wokingham Borough Council on Thursday, November 17, resident Peter Humphreys said the Coppid Beech site was “embarrassing and costly” and called for the site to be repurposed, such as building a block of flats on the site.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, the executive member for active transport, transport and highways, said the site had been paid for by developers’ contributions, with a business plan approved by Berkshire LEP.
“However, covid has changed travel patterns and particularly impacted park and ride sites which have yet to show any signs of recovery,” he said. “We are looking for options for the use of the site, including for those who want to use the charging points, or to park, and then share a journey.
“We will not be funding a park and ride bus at this time.”
Later in the meeting, Cllr Shirley Boyt suggested the Thames Valley Park site should be repurposed as a solar farm. In its current form, she argued, it attracted late-night anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Fishwick said income from the RBH helped the site to break even, and discussions were taking place to grow the use of the site next year.
“We are continually reviewing options for greater use or increasing revenue to ensure that the site is not costing the council any money. The site could have potential for some renewable energy generation, which could include solar, but this would be subject to detailed feasibility assessment and funding availability.”
And Cllr Fishwick said in his speech during a debate on parking charges that the Mereoak site was operating at just 25% of pre-covid levels, and was not covering the costs of running the service.
After the meeting, Cllr Clive Jones, the leader of Wokingham Borough Council, said they would be looking at the future of the Coppid Beech site.
“I can remember saying we shouldn’t be going ahead with it but the Conservatives insisted that it did,” he said. “It had landed us with an expensive white elephant.
“With the Winnersh Park and Ride, the previous Conservative administration were aware in October 2021 there was a funding problem and didn’t put it in the budget, but they let officers go ahead of buy martials, so we are now stuck having to complete it, as they had already started work.
“The Conservatives just didn’t budget for it.”
He added: “With Thames Valley Park, we are in discussions with the hospital.
“Could Coppid Beech become a solar farm? Perhaps there could be some development, but we have to have discussions with the original developer, as the money was to create the park and ride, not to do anything else.
“We are exploring options,” he said.
