Faraday Road football ground in Newbury being used as a 'cash cow' by West Berkshire Council

Town councillors express concern it is being used to fund rest of LRIE development

NEWBURY town councillors have raised concerns that the vacant football ground in Faraday Road is being used as a ‘cash cow’ to fund the rest of the London Road Industrial Estate development.

Their comments came as they were asked to respond to a draft development brief for the site by independent consultant Avison Young.

At a recent meeting of the town council’s planning and highways committee, chairman Gary Norman (Lib Dem, Wash Common) said: “When you look at the plans, plot 4 – the football ground site – they regard as prime site for residential development.

“There seems to be a slight preference for Avison Young for that to be built on first to fund the rest of developments.”

Roger Hunneman (Lib Dem, Wash Common) said: “There are several references in there to the football ground to make it obvious that the flats on the football ground is a cash cow to facilitate the rest of the development.”

Jeff Beck (Con, Clayhill) said: “I’m in agreement about the football ground. I spotted that is the milk cow and I do feel that is wrong and that area should be retained for sport.”

Nigel Foot (Lib Dem, Westfields) added: “The football ground site is plum site. It seems they are banking on getting a lot of money from that development.”