News

Regeneration to press ahead despite criticism

By Jon Nurse
November 30, 2012

People will get their wish for a revamped town centre even if a vocal minority continue to knock the plans, the council’s regeneration boss insisted.

Councillor Alistair Corrie, executive member for regeneration and affordable housing, said the majority of people endorse plans for Elms Field, no matter how statistics are viewed.

Liberal Democrats criticised his “dismissive attitude to residents” at Thursday’s full council meeting when he answered a question posed by Councillor Prue Bray over how many people support the Elms Field development.

The group claims his response, a “lengthy tirade of nonsensical statistics, showed quite clearly that a very small percentage of residents have actually come out in favour of this scheme”.

Wokingham town regeneration given go-ahead despite fear it'll 'look more like Bracknell'

In response, Cllr Corrie said: “Of course it was not my intention, in any shape or form, to be dismissive when I gave my answer.

“I was replying to a very important question, and I wanted to ensure people are aware that, whichever way we look at the figures, the majority of residents support our plans for Elms Field as part of the regeneration of our town.

“The majority of the town’s people should not be denied their wish for a regenerated town because a few people continually try to disrupt the project.

“I am working on behalf of the majority as their elected representative.”

In Thursday’s answer, Cllr Corrie explained 1,200 people attended the consultation for the Elms Field development – around 3.9 per cent of the town’s population.

“If all were opposed we could claim 96.1 per cent were in favour as they didn’t bother to turn up,” he said.

After the meeting, Wokingham Lib Dem leader Cllr Bray said: “The reason for asking the question was the Conservatives claim anyone who hasn’t objected – the so called ‘silent majority’ – agrees with their plans for Elms Field.

“That is clearly ridiculous. It’s like claiming the 86 per cent of people who didn’t vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections were really all supporting the Conservative candidate.

“Most of the population almost certainly have no idea what the plans for Elms Field actually are.”

Cllr Corrie explained that asked if they supported some or all of the Elms Field proposals, 83.8 per cent of 204 respondents were positive.

Cllr Bray added: “Hundreds of people have objected at earlier stages, but the Conservatives have turned a deaf ear to all their previous responses.

“I suspect they have therefore concluded there is no point in objecting because the Tories are determined to press ahead whatever anyone may say.”

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The latest poll by GetW asks about Elms Field.

Stig2, Wokingham
04/12/2012 at 21:04

THIS:

'f the commercial sector, in which the Conservatives usually place blind faith, do not want to invest or take the risk then at a time when essential services are being constrained due to lack of funds, then why are our council playing at being property developers rather than managing our services' Phil Challis, woodley

Paul Daniels' reattached finger.
04/12/2012 at 10:18

Well said Tonk!

WBC take note! hahaha like that is going to happen.

Local Woky, Wokingham
03/12/2012 at 23:57

As previously stated by me on this site, I suspect WBC see open spaces as a liability, due to costs of maintaining them but see developments as an assett due to tax revenues they may receive from them. I have yet to see a councillor deny this.

There is a danger that Wokingham's town centre will take a step away from its current position and head towards Finchampstead and Barkham and thus leave the Peach Street end of town even more isolated. A similar thing happened in Bracknell when Carles Square and Princess Square were built, and this left the Market and The Broadway with little footfall and the shops and businesses have since suffered: indeed, that part of Bracknell looks really run down and tired.

I think green space is very important to the well being of those of us that live in Wokingham and I also want to see the character of Wokingham preserved. I would like to see better public transport links into Wokingham, including the new bus stop Pone Rana mentions: it seems crazy that you must go right through the town before you can get off and then walk back through the town to start the return journey!

I would like to see cheaper car parking for shorter stays, say up to three hours; this would encourage people to shop in the town centre. We also need lease costs and rates to be set at sensible levels so that traditional shops could survive: I think shops like butchers, proper bakers, fruit and veg and fishmongers should be encouraged. I don't want to see more coffee chains, fast food chains nor charity shops in the town. I would also like to see a bigger and better market with perhaps themed days, say antiques or specialist food markets. I like the farmer's market but, I would like to see it weekly.

Tonk, Wokingham
03/12/2012 at 15:20

Let us be clear. Many people would not object to the new road running up the station side of Elms field provided the existing road was replaced by a grassed over area. What we don't want is houses, a supermarket and more shops particularly when a large number of the current shops are either empty or used by activities created to stop them being empty.

There are a lot of brown sites in the current town centre that could easily be replaced by shops with accomodation over them. Lets start with Broad Street Walk and the All Saints end of Peach Street.

A small item to start with would be a bus stop at that end of Peach Street. It only requires moving the disabled parking across the road.

PoneRana, Wokingham
01/12/2012 at 11:08

Wokingham Regeneration continuous stream surveys suggest the big expensive survey was inaccurate.

How can this happen when a survey company is appointed by developer? Oh.

Why would a Tax adviser side with a wealthy business man over the public he represents. . oh.

I spent 20 minutes checking. It's pretty clear. Just look for Wokingham Regeneration on youtube.

Kaz4Wokingham, Wokingham
30/11/2012 at 21:25

I have started conducting live video surveys because the data that Cllr Alistair Corrie states in no way represents what I think is public sentiment.

But I think he knows that. For the many e he is trying to convince that they are the few.

Just go to youtube and search for Wokingham Regeneration

Kaz4Wokingham, Wokingham
30/11/2012 at 21:24

Wokingham Regeneration continuous stream survey suggests the big expensive well presented snapdragon consulting survey was inaccurate. How can this happen when a survey company is appointed by developer? Oh. And why would a tax adviser from Risley side with wealthy business men over the public he represents. . oh.

Kaz4Wokingham, Wokingham
30/11/2012 at 21:24

I am sure everybody would like to see their own town regenerated; we would certainly like Woodley to be regenerated – and in case you forgot in Woodley we pay our council taxes to Wokingham Borough Council as well!

Regeneration must have certain constraints. One of the constraints favoured by many residents of Wokingham seems to be the preservation of Elms Field. However surely the key constraint is the cost and risk.

Originally the council were to regenerate Wokingham town with a commercial partner who was to take most of the risk and put up a lot of the cost. This scheme evaporated and now the council is borrowing large sums of money and taking a risk with tax-payers money.

This cannot be right.

If the commercial sector, in which the Conservatives usually place blind faith, do not want to invest or take the risk then at a time when essential services are being constrained due to lack of funds, then why are our council playing at being property developers rather than managing our services.

Phil Challis, woodley
30/11/2012 at 20:03

@come on lads - thanks to you too and have a great weekend. Though not a football supporter, I'm definitely rooting for RFC to do well!

alex_f, Wokingham
30/11/2012 at 17:58

(there were other reasons too, to do with the difference in demographic and retail mix between the areas, which I had to remove for the 2,000 character limit!)

I think all of us though would very much agree that something should be done, sooner rather than later, on the east-side of Peach Street. As mavdo mentions, there's nothing concrete on redevelopment of this (the only concrete development is the current regeneration up until 2016), but it is pencilled in in the masterplan for 'sometime' before 2026.

I mentioned below on the proposal which I understand was circulated at the recent Town Team meeting, for there to be a Wokingham BID (Business Improvement District). I'm still researching myself into how successful these are elsewhere, and the scope of their work, but I am really hoping that this might seek to look at other areas which are not being developed within the regeneration, such as improving the general street 'scene', and more importantly, options to improve the neglected parts of the town, including Peach Street.

alex_f, Wokingham
30/11/2012 at 17:54

Thanks A_f

A big difference of opinion (not you and me) is whether a supermarket - and the new one will have a pharmacy - actually gets people shopping elsewhere.

In my office of about 20 people no-one says they combine the weekly food shop with other shopping.

If the supermarket isn't going to bring in shoppers but will generate a lot more traffic - thats not going to help.

I'm off now - have a good weekend everyone. Let's hope for a win for RFC tomorrow. McD under more pressure than CAC!!

come on lads
30/11/2012 at 17:45

@Come on lads - thanks for that.

Regarding a supermarket for Elms Field, you'll probably note from a few of my previous comments that my position on this one has to'ed and fro'ed somewhat. When I was growing up, my hometown was 'invaded' by a Morrisons on the pretence that it would bring footfall to the area, when in fact it did quite the opposite, sapping all life and footfall from the town centre. My parents were restaurant owners in the town at this time, so the impact of this was all very real for us as they had to sell the shop at an enormous loss, and household budgets were cut back to the bone.

Due to this, my first response of a supermarket coming to Wokingham was fundamentally negative. I have however, in the meantime, attended a town centre forum and seen very solid support from some of our businesses for the supermarket, notably making reference to the reduction in footfall when Tesco left the town centre. I have also through my own research come across a study into the impact of in-town supermarkets - http://www.southampton.ac.uk/mediacentre/news/2010/dec/10_129.shtml, providing evidence of significant benefits of in-town supermarkets. Before anyone mentions, yes the study was commissioned by Tesco, however it is also a comprehensive study performed by a leading expert from Southampton University.

So this I hope really begins to explain why I'm sitting on the fence at the moment when it comes to bringing a supermarket to Wokingham. I have deep-rooted issues with the whole concept, but also see (and this will be my optimistic side) evidence and a degree of desire for a supermarket. With 1,000's of new homes being introduced into the Wokingham Borough at the various SDLs, the argument has also been made that these people will need a supermarket, and it is better for the supermarket to be in-town to bring those people into the town to shop.

alex_f, Wokingham
30/11/2012 at 17:36

@come on lads - thank you for posting a comment that contains good opinion, good justification, absolutely no insults or defamation, and some suggestions. Excellent post, with which I almost completely agree (except I don't believe Alex was looking to destroy Elms field - having spoken to him at length previously, he isn't entirely in favour of the scheme as is, only bits of it, and is almost in line with me). Your post explains which parts of the regeneration you are against and moves you out of the bracket that Cllr Corrie is so keen to put us all in. This is what we need.

You echo my point in a number of places - the regeneration is about more than just Elms field, and us just being against a road, houses, hotel and supermarket on what is currently a nice green open space in the centre of town with huge potential for attracting visitors as just that, just to make money for the rest of the scheme, doesn't mean we are all completely against the whole regeneration.

Peach Street isn't completely be left until last, but the back end by the The Ship/Blockbuster etc isn't even in any concrete plans. I suspect it'll get pushed into the "no funding left" zone and nothing will get done.

I don't think the plan is to build "hundreds" of houses, but I don't really want any on this stretch at all. I don't think a road is a problem, especially if it can help get rid of congestion, as there is one underused one there already, but the current road needs to go as compensation, and I don't want any new road to separate the field entirely into a useable and an unusable chunk - the road needs to go up the edge of the park. The supermarket I don't get, but if you are building it on a site that already had a building, so be it, nothing is lost. But the hotel is too much. Perhaps there is demand for a Permier Inn/Ibis/Travelodge equivalent IN town, but why build on what is a really nice open space with so much potential for attracting visitors to our town?

mavdo, Wokingham
30/11/2012 at 17:35

Building a supermarket and shops on a park is surely destruction of an open space - if anyone thinks otherwise please explain.

There are at least 6 empty shops/shops on the market in Peach Street - many more in Market Place and Denmark Street and quite a few where tenants are paying subsidised rents.

How is building a supermarket on a park going to regenerate WTC

You will note I am in favour of Market Place improvements and like many others I am concerned about Peach Street - why is that being left til last?

There should be more recreation and events on Elmsfield - that would regenerate the town. The winter carnival, jubilee events, may fayre all bring extra people into the town who spend in the existing shops.

More shops, a new road and hundreds of houses will be a blight in my opinion.

My view is influenced by the fact (I believe) that shopping in town centres is becoming less and less popular. Wokingham will never and should not try to compete with Reading or Bracknell and by using its town centre green spaces to encourage visitors will see the existing shops prosper.

We are destroying, arguably, our one unique feature.

So yes I get annoyed/angry when people want to destroy what makes Wokingham WOKINGHAM.

The Living Advent Calendar starting tomorrow and running until 24/12 should bring more people in. That is innovation that should help the shops.