Letter published in the Maidenhead Advertiser in Oct 2014
"Both the National Planning Policy Framework & the RBWM's Local Plan make it clear new schools constitute 'inappropriate development' in the greenbelt. If they are to be approved 'very special circumstances' must be demonstrated by the applicant when the planning application is submitted."
"Cllr Wilson also unfortunately makes reference to the Braywick Court Free School whose proposals involve building on land that is not only in the greenbelt but is part of Braywick Park & therefore public open space. However this scheme is yet to be the subject of a planning application and thus it is wrong of Cllr Wilson to imply in advance of that application that 'very special circumstances' might exist in this case. "
"As chairman of the panel that will be determining this application when it is submitted, he should be seen to be impartial at this stage as required by the council's code of conduct".
Here's Cllr Derek Wilson again talking about details from a confidential council meeting in the local paper, and how he thinks it would be a good idea to remove Braywick Park from the Greenbelt and build a huge new sports centre on it "because you've got a lot of sporting facilities in the park already".
Yes, why not bulldozer over Sportsable (is that before or after their proposed new development?) and the Rugby Club, and the Rugby and football pitches, and the running track. Who cares right? As long as the developers that get the old Magnet site can make a tidy profit on their new houses...
- If Maidenhead needs a new sports centre then why not redevelop the existing one?
- If the council cares about public access to sports facilities why move it out of the town centre?
- Why cannibalise existing (excellent) sporting facilities on Braywick to make it happen?
- Why sell off the operation of the Magnet already to a private company? (and why have the prices now gone up?).
Did the Section 106 money from other land sales go towards local services in RBWM, or did they go on cleaning up the waterways so the new houses built beside it make a bigger profit for the developers?
Are some of the developers evading tax by hiding it in Swiss Bank accounts with the help of HSBC?
Do you care about this? Want to help? Please sign our petition to ask RWBM to consider our idea of a 'split site' for Braywick Court School - which would avoid overdeveloping the Winbury School site and avoid building any new buildings on Braywick Park....
