Disappointed in councillors over our Parklands fight

PARKLANDS’ trustees are incensed that Liberal Democrat Councillor for Oakley, Rowena Hay, would not support our nomination that Parklands Community Centre was a community asset worth keeping in Whaddon.

The Council’s reviewing officer invited Mrs Hay to comment on our application. The officer said that Mrs Hay would have local knowledge of what Parklands did, to enhance residents’ lives in Whaddon and district. I wrote to Councillor Hay to say that, in my 20-odd years, I had never seen her set foot inside the Centre. Mrs Hay said she visited twice.

Behind closed doors, she wrote “My big concern is that a lot of work has taken place on the entirety of this site which is quite large and important.” There is no reason why she should have kept her views from local people in Whaddon.

The Council’s cabinet, of which Mrs Hay is a member said on October 24, 2019, that Parklands’ trustees would be involved in any future plans for the site. We have not heard a word from the Council from that date. It seems the best place to find out what is going on in Whaddon, is from the local media.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Oakley Max Wilkinson, too, has never seen us at Parklands. He took a different line, when we asked for his support. It was disingenuous of Cllr Wilkinson to say to trustees, that he would only comment when he received the information. What are we supposed to do, now that we know Councillor Wilkinson had that information, when he said he hadn’t?

We have been in existence for more than 75 years; and we are determined to continue. Trustees are ratepayers, who fully support the council’s need to build affordable houses on Parklands’ site. That said; we would never agree to a redevelopment plan, which would deny Whaddon people their community centre. There has to be compromise on both sides.

Trustees endured a blistering 10-month fight, and the council forced us to use enough paper to fill a stationers. We were also obliged to tell the council that it was acting unlawfully.

On April 26, trustees finally secured Parklands as an Asset of Community Value. This is good news for everyone; especially for people with learning difficulties, local sports teams and residents.

What trustees seek is openness and integrity from the council, not these antics from Oakley ward councillors.

Alec Woodward Chairman, Parklands

Community Centre