ROYAL BOROUGH NEWS RELEASE

 MARSH MEADOW CAR PARK

 ( 10 October 2000)

CABINET LISTENS TO COOKHAM'S VIEWS 

The Royal Borough's cabinet will recommend to full council next Tuesday that the planning application for a car park on Marsh Meadow in Cookham Village be withdrawn in the light of considerable opposition from local people. 

The planning application was lodged following positive feedback from a public consultation a year ago when 79 per cent of respondents agreed that there was a need to improve parking provision, with 64 per cent in support of a car park on Marsh Meadow. In response, the council drew up a package of measures which was intended to achieve: 

• significant improvements to the character and appearance of Cookham conservation area through the removal of the existing National Trust car park 

• improved environment for Fleet Pond, a wildlife heritage site, through the removal of parked cars and associated noise pollution 

• parking provision to serve both the village and adjoining countryside for recreational use in a single, sensitively designed car park. 

In its subsequent planning application the council reduced the size of the car park, in line with the expressed wishes of the respondents, from 132 spaces to 90 spaces. 

On Thursday (October 5) cabinet considered the latest public reaction to the proposals, including the results of the most recent public consultation in August. More than 300 people responded, 71 per cent of whom did not support the proposals. Also, 66 per cent of Cookham village residents were against the proposals, with 29 per cent in favour and five per cent "don't knows". 

About 200 residents attended a public meeting of Cookham Parish Council which then voted unanimously against the application. 

Cllr 'Jamie' Jamieson, lead cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "We have listened to the views of the people who have responded to us. They have told us overwhelmingly that there is not a parking problem for residents in Cookham and for this reason we are recommending to council that the planning application be withdrawn." 

"Local ward councillors have said all along that the car park would go ahead only if it had the support of Cookham villagers. There has been a vociferous campaign of opposition that may explain the change of view we have experienced."

The recommendation from cabinet will be considered by the full council meeting on Tuesday October 17.