Council pressing ahead with Hazlemere athletics track plan for Sir William Ramsay school (From Bucks Free Press)

Council pressing ahead with Hazlemere athletics track plan for Sir William Ramsay school

1:46pm Wednesday 2nd December 2009

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CHANGES to controversial plans for a Hazlemere athletics track have been slammed as “window dressing” by a residents’ association ahead of a public meeting tonight.

Wycombe District Council is to press ahead for the plan to move the track from Wycombe Sports Centre to Sir William Ramsay School, Rose Avenue to make way for a coach station.

Revisions include removing spectator seating, reducing the pavilion size and moving it nearer the school and charging for “minimum” lighting to 9pm. It would open by 2011.

But Brian Mapletoft, of Hazlemere Residents’ Association, said: “The changes being proposed are cosmetic.

“They address one or two of the objections without addressing the main point which is that they are siting this in a completely inappropriate location.”

He added: “I think people will think they are window dressing.”

Hazlemere Recreation Ground or a proposed WDC allotment site at Queensway, both off Amersham Road, would be more suitable, he said.

Residents are invited to a public meeting on the plans at Hazlemere Community Centre, Rose Avenue at 7.30pm tonight. Council bosses will address residents.

What do you think? Leave your comments below.

The council’s ruling cabinet is expected to approve the final design of the plans, which would then need approval from the WDC planning committee.

Of the 125 responses to the original plans, 95 “strongly opposed” it, 15 wanted more information and 15 supported it. Traffic, parking and lighting were major concerns.

Some called for track lanes to be cut from eight to six.

But a council report (see link, bottom of story) said this is “not considered appropriate” as it would have “minimal” affect.

Clubs will need to pay £35,000 for the extra two lanes, however. The revised scheme would be consulted on when a planning application is submitted.

Elaine Jewell, council head of community services, said: “I think we are doing the best we can and hopefully we will have persuaded some residents.

“There are people who just don’t want it.”

Eleven sites were considered, the council said, and the school was the most ideal. It will not be paid and the sport centre land will not be sold for the coach station, bosses said.

The scheme had to move quickly to win £25m from the Government for the coach station, in time for the 2012 Olympics, said Councillor Roger Colomb.

This was for the “greater good” as coaches will go to destinations including Maidenhead, Reading, Slough and London, he said. The nearby park and ride would also move there.

Cllr Colomb said: “We believe that the coachway is essential for the long-term benefit of the economy of Wycombe.

“The way people move around is going to be very different with the pressure on road space, the cost of petrol and god knows what.”

If the funding bid fails then the council “would have time to consider whether we go to Hazlemere or somewhere else” he said.

Asked by The Bucks Free Press whether the council had therefore rushed into choosing a track location, he said: “We have looked at every option. This one is the most suitable.”

The council also wants to sell the surrounding land for offices and hotel. This would pay for a new sports centre on the same site. Bosses refused to reveal how much it would get.

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