Still time to have your say on Wokingham Dinton Pastures
Comments on how one of the Wokingham borough’s most treasured country parks should develop over the next 25 years can still be submitted by residents, ramblers and nature-lovers.
Three suggested visions for the future of Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst have been developed by Wokingham Borough Council after a summer-long consultation with residents and stakeholders including walkers, environmental groups, golfers from nearby Hurst Golf Club, anglers and people who use the lakes for water sports.
The three broad options have been on display at the Dragonfly Café in Dinton Pastures and are now available to everyone on the council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/dinton-pastures
Feedback is needed to ensure the Wokingham countryside service can develop the park and make it what the
The first option is to build a new visitor centre on the site of the existing watersports area and golf club on Sandford Lane.
This option includes:
· Having a golf clubhouse and watersports facilities in a visitor centre providing a view of the lake
· Creating a two-storey visitor centre building with a glazed front, terrace and first floor balcony, and the opportunity for outside seating linking with the café and restaurant areas
· Storing indoor boats and equipment in the centre and providing outdoor boat storage and a new jetty and slipway.
· Having the countryside service provide reception staff at the centre but keeping its main offices at the revamped farmhouse.
The second option available is to build a new visitor centre on the edge of Black Swan Lake.
This option includes:
· Having all the facilities under one roof as in option one and creating a centre at the heart of the park
· Ensuring the visitor centre is near to the children’s play area
· This option would require using currently unused parts of the park for buildings – which is within the designated flood plain.
The third option is to build a new visitor centre and golf clubhouse on the site of the existing country park café and information centre, with access from Davis Street.
This option includes:
· Retaining the exiting building for the new golf clubhouse and linking it to a visitor centre
· Creating an outdoor café area and courtyard area to welcome visitors
· Building a visitor centre with a single storey entrance hall and two storey glazed building for the café and restaurant
· Creating a separate building for watersports off Sandford Lane, which would be near the existing watersports building and also building a new jetty, slipway and beach area.
The Wokingham borough council is committed to providing enhanced facilities at the park – which is why a vision for the next 25 years of the park is being drawn up. Ways of financing it, including looking for investments from the private sector as well as using the council’s own funds, will be decided upon once a vision is adopted.
Feedback on the three concepts is needed by Monday December 24. The council’s executive committee will make a decision on its future based on what residents and park users want in spring 2008.
Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Wokingham environment, said: “There’s still one week left to tell us how Dinton Pastures country park should develop in the future. We really need everyone who uses the park to tell us what they think so that we get it right and provide them with the park they want.
“There is a full display at the Dragonfly Café in Dinton Pastures but there’s also the chance to have a look at the proposals online on the council’s website.
“The ideas are purposely very broad at the moment so that we can take on board the comments of people who use the park and make it a place they are proud of.”
Three suggested visions for the future of Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst have been developed by Wokingham Borough Council after a summer-long consultation with residents and stakeholders including walkers, environmental groups, golfers from nearby Hurst Golf Club, anglers and people who use the lakes for water sports.
The three broad options have been on display at the Dragonfly Café in Dinton Pastures and are now available to everyone on the council’s website at www.wokingham.gov.uk/dinton-pastures
Feedback is needed to ensure the Wokingham countryside service can develop the park and make it what the
The first option is to build a new visitor centre on the site of the existing watersports area and golf club on Sandford Lane.
This option includes:
· Having a golf clubhouse and watersports facilities in a visitor centre providing a view of the lake
· Creating a two-storey visitor centre building with a glazed front, terrace and first floor balcony, and the opportunity for outside seating linking with the café and restaurant areas
· Storing indoor boats and equipment in the centre and providing outdoor boat storage and a new jetty and slipway.
· Having the countryside service provide reception staff at the centre but keeping its main offices at the revamped farmhouse.
The second option available is to build a new visitor centre on the edge of Black Swan Lake.
This option includes:
· Having all the facilities under one roof as in option one and creating a centre at the heart of the park
· Ensuring the visitor centre is near to the children’s play area
· This option would require using currently unused parts of the park for buildings – which is within the designated flood plain.
The third option is to build a new visitor centre and golf clubhouse on the site of the existing country park café and information centre, with access from Davis Street.
This option includes:
· Retaining the exiting building for the new golf clubhouse and linking it to a visitor centre
· Creating an outdoor café area and courtyard area to welcome visitors
· Building a visitor centre with a single storey entrance hall and two storey glazed building for the café and restaurant
· Creating a separate building for watersports off Sandford Lane, which would be near the existing watersports building and also building a new jetty, slipway and beach area.
The Wokingham borough council is committed to providing enhanced facilities at the park – which is why a vision for the next 25 years of the park is being drawn up. Ways of financing it, including looking for investments from the private sector as well as using the council’s own funds, will be decided upon once a vision is adopted.
Feedback on the three concepts is needed by Monday December 24. The council’s executive committee will make a decision on its future based on what residents and park users want in spring 2008.
Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Wokingham environment, said: “There’s still one week left to tell us how Dinton Pastures country park should develop in the future. We really need everyone who uses the park to tell us what they think so that we get it right and provide them with the park they want.
“There is a full display at the Dragonfly Café in Dinton Pastures but there’s also the chance to have a look at the proposals online on the council’s website.
“The ideas are purposely very broad at the moment so that we can take on board the comments of people who use the park and make it a place they are proud of.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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