WOKINGHAM Borough Council has no intention of building homes on Pinewood Leisure Complex.
That’s the promise of council leader John Halsall, who was responding to a petition set up by residents who fear the opposite after its inclusion in the Draft Local Plan Update, showing where homes could be built in the borough up to 2036.
More than 3,800 people signed a petition launched by residents concerned that the popular site had been listed in the update, as a site suitable for “self-funded regeneration”.
Cllr Halsall said: “We have absolutely no intention of building on Pinewood.
“I sent a letter to every home in the borough to explain some of the things (in the consultation) that seemed to be obscure.
“We made a lot of efforts to ensure that everybody was informed.”
Despite this, he said that “There have been misleading comments on social media and elsewhere – fake news as it’s now called.”
He repeated previous comments that the borough needed a local plan to protect it from unsolicited developments. The greenbelt, he added, can’t be moved, and the council couldn’t plan to build homes in the emergency planning zone around the AWE site in Burghfield.
And on Pinewood, he said: “I would like to clear up a misunderstanding on the future of the Pinewood Centre. It is a valued community facility that we’re committing to maintain and potentially improve.
“This could allow the facilities to be improved if funding is available and local support forthcoming.
“To be clear, we aren’t advocating any development, but we’re offering development as an opportunity for the current lease holders to obtain the funds if they say they need them.
“The regeneration funding could come from any source.
“But if Pinewood did take a small amount further to attract funding, the council is committed to investing in the facilities to ensure that future generations can benefit.”
Cllr Halsall thanked people who responded to the consultation, saying the council had had a good level of response.
“I’m very grateful to everybody who has written in,” he said, adding that he was “not that happy with people signing up to petitions which are clearly erroneous”.
The responses will be reviewed and the next phase of the local plan update is expected later this year, with more opportunities for residents to comment.
“We do need to produce a plan because it’s a better alternative than not producing a plan,” Cllr Halsall said.
