Proposal for Thatcham parking area is dropped

PLANS to allow people to park in a former play area in Thatcham have been abandoned.

PLANS to allow people to park in a former play area in Thatcham have been abandoned.

Thatcham Town Council had investigated using the former play area in Browning Close to provide additional car parking for residents, but the town council and the land are tied to a covenant with the Treasury.

A letter from the Treasury Solicitor’s Department said that the Government was unlikely to release the council from the covenant because, should the value of the land subsequently inc-rease, the Treasury would not benefit, leading to claims that the Government, and therefore the taxpayer, had lost out financially.

The department recommended that the covenant be amended so that the town council was the specified user of the land and could then provide licences for people to park. However, the council would hold full responsibility for managing and policing the parking, but would not be able to benefit financially from the arrangement.

Speaking at a meeting of the town council’s recreation and amenities committee on Monday, John Boyd (Lib Dem, Thatcham South and Crookham) suggested that the town council should return to its other proposed options for the area, including an outdoor gym.