Carnival Pool revamp plans get go-ahead

PLANS for a new leisure complex and homes at Carnival Pool, including moving Wokingham Library to the site, were approved by the planning committee last Wednesday, despite criticism of the plans.

Speaking on behalf of Wokingham Town Council, Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey said that they had grave concerns.

In a paper submitted to the planning committee, the town council raised a number of issues including lack of facilities for cyclists and buses, as well as parents with prams.

It also raised the siting of the Mark Tildsley memorial bench, which was installed at the place where he was last seen before he was murdered in 1984.

“The bench is clearly in the way of some of the work,” the council noted. “[There is the] possibility of moving it, this must be done with care as the current location is significant and was chosen by his parents.” Other concerns included the lack of parking spaces, which is “well below the national minimum standards”; the colour of the window frames for the flats and a lack of affordable housing.

The Liberal Democrats, in their written objections, said that it wanted the council to defer the decision for a number of reasons.

Cllr Ferris said: “We can find no Equalities Impact Assessment relating to this application ... for disabled people and others.

“No library business case has been submitted and it is not clear to the viability of the overall project.

“In addition we feel the pool needs to be provided with a splash pool.”

But Wokingham’s ‘chancellor’ was one of the voices in favour of the Carnival Pool proposal.

Cllr Oliver Whittle, the Executive member for finance, said: “I believe the council should be lauded for the investment they are making in the town centre and its residents.”

The plans were approved with one abstention. THE Liberal Democrat leader for Wokingham staged a silent protest at the planning committee on Wednesday, November 8.

Cllr Lindsay Ferris (pictured right), who heads the opposition party, placed black tape over his mouth and held up a sign that said he had been censored from speaking over a proposal to regenerate the Elms Field site.

He argued that in previous years, opposition leaders had been able to speak to the planning committee over big proposed developments but this power had been taken away from him.

Cllr Ferris claimed that it was a change to the council constitution that had stopped him from speaking.

“The Conservative group voted through this change at a full council meeting earlier this year,” he said.

“It also impacts outside bodies and others, for instance The Wokingham Society, who, for many years, provided useful comments on the more important planning applications. This is nothing more than censorship. I wonder how the current leader of the council would feel if the position was reversed.”

But the chair of the planning committee felt that Cllr Ferris was wrong.

He said: “The Council’s Democratic Services officers dealt with Cllr Ferris’ application to speak. The Council’s constitution is clear that councillors who address the committee should be Ward members, unless they can provide evidence that they or their residents are directly affected by the proposed development.

“If Lindsay had really wanted to speak all he needed to do was provide such evidence. I can only assume he didn’t or didn’t wish to as he wasn’t on the list of speakers I was given immediately prior to the planning committee by Democratic Services.”