Cabinet Minister Eric Pickles considers whether to step in over contentious £1.5m running track in Little Marlow

9:50am Monday 4th February 2013 in News By James Nadal

Minister considers whether to step in over contentious running track Minister considers whether to step in over contentious running track

GOVERNMENT Cabinet Minister Eric Pickles is considering whether to step in over the controversial £1.5m Little Marlow running track proposal.

The application, put in by Wycombe District Council last year, is now with the Department for Communities and Local Government, headed by Tory MP Mr Pickles.

The council's own planning committee has granted approval to the athletics plan, which is intrinsically tied to its £30m Handy Cross sports centre revamp.

The current track at Handy Cross needs to be relocated before the redevelopment can take place, as planned, this spring.

But the DCLG has directed the council not to proceed with the running track until Mr Pickles has signed off on the proposal.

Mr Pickles is currently weighing up whether the application should be called in – leading to a public inquiry by the planning inspector – or whether to allow it to go ahead.

The DCLG told the Free Press that no decision has been made yet. There is no set time scale for a decision, though the department said it always aims to do so as quickly as possible.

William Northcroft, Chairman of Little Marlow Residents Association, has been among those leading the campaign to stop the track being built.

Commenting on the Secretary of State's involvement, he said: "I'm not hopeful but the fact they are seriously looking at it is a good sign because we think the process was flawed and people were being told things that weren't accurate.

"Nobody is saying you couldn't have an athletics training track here but what we're objecting to is that it's a big development. It's huge within what is now a green field.

"We think it's the beginning of further development and that's why we think there needs to be shown there are very special circumstances."

The council has said such circumstances do exist for the Green Belt when sporting facilities are proposed and it has insisted the track will not be the start of further development on the site.

It has tried to assuage concerns by making the track's eight lanes green instead of the traditional red to blend in with the surroundings, while the floodlights would be of the lowest permissible illumination level of 75 luxe. An all weather pitch at Handy Cross has 400 luxe floodlights.

The floodlights would be retractable down to 4.5m when not in use, rising to 15m when events are being held. Restrictions have been put in place preventing the track being used after 9pm.

Comments (9)

10:26am Mon 4 Feb 13

Darren Hayday says...

In my mind.. I think it would have been the best solution to have the track at the newly developed side at Handycross and to allow room for it on the plans..they have been trying to palm this off all over the district for maaaaany years now..

But then again - that would take common sense and the possibility of hurting WDC senior officers their ego's..
In my mind.. I think it would have been the best solution to have the track at the newly developed side at Handycross and to allow room for it on the plans..they have been trying to palm this off all over the district for maaaaany years now.. But then again - that would take common sense and the possibility of hurting WDC senior officers their ego's.. Darren Hayday

10:49am Mon 4 Feb 13

Agniesca says...

Fernie Fields, which Handy Cross runners (150 strong) run round could easily accommodate a running track. The Judo Centre has under-used lockers, showers etc and has the necessary maintenance, cash handling and site maintenance monitoring. Local residents are shielded by trees from it's activities and there is additional parking at local schools for sports days. The site can also be accessed from the Stokenchurch junction of the M40 by those travelling from the North.
Fernie Fields, which Handy Cross runners (150 strong) run round could easily accommodate a running track. The Judo Centre has under-used lockers, showers etc and has the necessary maintenance, cash handling and site maintenance monitoring. Local residents are shielded by trees from it's activities and there is additional parking at local schools for sports days. The site can also be accessed from the Stokenchurch junction of the M40 by those travelling from the North. Agniesca

11:11am Mon 4 Feb 13

tom.marlow2 says...

What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing.

If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement.
What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing. If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement. tom.marlow2

11:32am Mon 4 Feb 13

miccles says...

tom.marlow2 wrote:
What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing.

If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement.
What does that fat idiot know about running tracks?


Probably alot more than Alex C and WDC.
[quote][p][bold]tom.marlow2[/bold] wrote: What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing. If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement.[/p][/quote]What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? Probably alot more than Alex C and WDC. miccles

12:26pm Mon 4 Feb 13

Dr Truth says...

To be honest Pickles probably isn't involved with this at all is he. The application is with his department but is something of this scale really going to be in his own 'in-tray'.

Just the BFP trying to add some false national gravitas to a story I suspect.
To be honest Pickles probably isn't involved with this at all is he. The application is with his department but is something of this scale really going to be in his own 'in-tray'. Just the BFP trying to add some false national gravitas to a story I suspect. Dr Truth

12:55pm Mon 4 Feb 13

gpn01 says...

tom.marlow2 wrote:
What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing. If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement.
He, and his department, don't need to know anything about running tracks. What is needed is knowledge of the planning process, constraints imposed by Green Belt requirements, what constitutes "proper" consultation, etc.
[quote][p][bold]tom.marlow2[/bold] wrote: What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing. If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement.[/p][/quote]He, and his department, don't need to know anything about running tracks. What is needed is knowledge of the planning process, constraints imposed by Green Belt requirements, what constitutes "proper" consultation, etc. gpn01

10:11pm Mon 4 Feb 13

BOOKERite says...

Agniesca wrote:
Fernie Fields, which Handy Cross runners (150 strong) run round could easily accommodate a running track. The Judo Centre has under-used lockers, showers etc and has the necessary maintenance, cash handling and site maintenance monitoring. Local residents are shielded by trees from it's activities and there is additional parking at local schools for sports days. The site can also be accessed from the Stokenchurch junction of the M40 by those travelling from the North.
You keep banging on about Fernie fields being used as a running track and how 150 strong Handy Cross runers use it, I never see them using it, in fact all I ever see are Handy Cross runners running up and down Cressex Road.

Fernie Fields is a recreation ground for the use of everyone in the area for all different types of sport and recreation. There would be public outrage if this facility was taken away from them and used purely for athletics.
[quote][p][bold]Agniesca[/bold] wrote: Fernie Fields, which Handy Cross runners (150 strong) run round could easily accommodate a running track. The Judo Centre has under-used lockers, showers etc and has the necessary maintenance, cash handling and site maintenance monitoring. Local residents are shielded by trees from it's activities and there is additional parking at local schools for sports days. The site can also be accessed from the Stokenchurch junction of the M40 by those travelling from the North.[/p][/quote]You keep banging on about Fernie fields being used as a running track and how 150 strong Handy Cross runers use it, I never see them using it, in fact all I ever see are Handy Cross runners running up and down Cressex Road. Fernie Fields is a recreation ground for the use of everyone in the area for all different types of sport and recreation. There would be public outrage if this facility was taken away from them and used purely for athletics. BOOKERite

8:39am Tue 5 Feb 13

Welwyn Dowd says...

The problem with keeping the running track at Handy Cross is that it would take up space that is planned to be flogged off for business use - offices and retail to be specific. You could never get away with putting that in Little Marlow but a running track might just be possible in the green belt. No wonder folk at Daws Hill are livid as well as those at Little Marlow - as if there aren't enough supermarkets and empty offices around the place.
The problem with keeping the running track at Handy Cross is that it would take up space that is planned to be flogged off for business use - offices and retail to be specific. You could never get away with putting that in Little Marlow but a running track might just be possible in the green belt. No wonder folk at Daws Hill are livid as well as those at Little Marlow - as if there aren't enough supermarkets and empty offices around the place. Welwyn Dowd

7:44pm Tue 5 Feb 13

tom.marlow2 says...

miccles wrote:
tom.marlow2 wrote:
What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing.

If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement.
What does that fat idiot know about running tracks?


Probably alot more than Alex C and WDC.
Well, I can vouch for the fact that Alex C actually knows what running is and has participated in the sport :-)

I must admit that my original comment was more a gratuitous jibe at the current government's "fat northerner with a mouth/brain disconnect". It seems every government has to have one (well the last government had one too)
[quote][p][bold]miccles[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]tom.marlow2[/bold] wrote: What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? I cant think of anyone less qualified to make decisions about this sort of thing. If the argument was about where to locate a pie shop then I could understand his involvement.[/p][/quote]What does that fat idiot know about running tracks? Probably alot more than Alex C and WDC.[/p][/quote]Well, I can vouch for the fact that Alex C actually knows what running is and has participated in the sport :-) I must admit that my original comment was more a gratuitous jibe at the current government's "fat northerner with a mouth/brain disconnect". It seems every government has to have one (well the last government had one too) tom.marlow2

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