Council considers options for Wokingham peach place
Wokingham Borough Council is committed to seeing improvements made to Wokingham town centre to improve its vitality and viability and will do everything within its power to see these happen to ensure Wokingham residents use and enjoy the town.
Developer Rock Investment Group plc - as they are now known - has been trying to bring about the development for the best part of a decade. Wokingham council agreed back in 2002 to sell them Rose Street car park to assist this development. Despite having six years to complete the sale of the car park, Rock has failed to do so. And last night - June 26 -, council officers were given the go-ahead to take back control of Rose Street car park by the council’s decision-making executive.
The council is looking at the redevelopment options in relation to the whole of Wokingham town, including the possibility of talking to other developers. And, today - June 27 - the council is setting the wheels in motion by announcing its intention to publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union - OJEU - to invite expressions of interest to work jointly with the council to regenerate Wokingham town centre, not just Peach Place. This notice would allow the council to have a direct interest in the development.
Susan Law, Wokingham chief executive, said: “For a number of reasons related to Peach Place, including financial viability and prolonged delay by the developer, it is our view that the proposed scheme is unlikely to proceed in the near future. As a council, we strongly believe we have taken matters as far as we are able with developer Rock Investment Group plc.
“The council is therefore acting as any prudent landowner would and is taking back control of Rose Street car park, which the developer never actually purchased, despite first having the opportunity some six years ago. By doing so, it will allow us to free up the land and will give us greater choice of future development options. We - and the people of Wokingham - are totally frustrated with the whole thing.
Cllr Matthew Deegan, executive member for Wokingham community regeneration, said: “We now need to look at the options available to us. The council will also look at entering into competitive dialogue with other developers. This course of action was also agreed by the council’s decision-making executive last night. Ideas will be explored at the town centre workshop on Saturday to look at the redevelopment of the town centre as a whole, not just Peach Place. We want to facilitate the whole process to ensure we have the right developer in place to regenerate Wokingham town centre for the benefit of everyone and this must be done in a coordinated way.”
The workshop, which is being held on Saturday June 28 at the Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham, aims to build on the major principles and themes that were agreed at the Elms Field workshop in January, namely:
• Wokingham people wanted to consider Elms Field in the context of the whole of the town centre
• Wokingham people wanted to give input into how Elms Field and the town centre could be enhanced including establishing good quality public space.
• Wokingham people wanted the council to take an active role in regeneration of the town centre.
Developer Rock Investment Group plc - as they are now known - has been trying to bring about the development for the best part of a decade. Wokingham council agreed back in 2002 to sell them Rose Street car park to assist this development. Despite having six years to complete the sale of the car park, Rock has failed to do so. And last night - June 26 -, council officers were given the go-ahead to take back control of Rose Street car park by the council’s decision-making executive.
The council is looking at the redevelopment options in relation to the whole of Wokingham town, including the possibility of talking to other developers. And, today - June 27 - the council is setting the wheels in motion by announcing its intention to publish a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union - OJEU - to invite expressions of interest to work jointly with the council to regenerate Wokingham town centre, not just Peach Place. This notice would allow the council to have a direct interest in the development.
Susan Law, Wokingham chief executive, said: “For a number of reasons related to Peach Place, including financial viability and prolonged delay by the developer, it is our view that the proposed scheme is unlikely to proceed in the near future. As a council, we strongly believe we have taken matters as far as we are able with developer Rock Investment Group plc.
“The council is therefore acting as any prudent landowner would and is taking back control of Rose Street car park, which the developer never actually purchased, despite first having the opportunity some six years ago. By doing so, it will allow us to free up the land and will give us greater choice of future development options. We - and the people of Wokingham - are totally frustrated with the whole thing.
Cllr Matthew Deegan, executive member for Wokingham community regeneration, said: “We now need to look at the options available to us. The council will also look at entering into competitive dialogue with other developers. This course of action was also agreed by the council’s decision-making executive last night. Ideas will be explored at the town centre workshop on Saturday to look at the redevelopment of the town centre as a whole, not just Peach Place. We want to facilitate the whole process to ensure we have the right developer in place to regenerate Wokingham town centre for the benefit of everyone and this must be done in a coordinated way.”
The workshop, which is being held on Saturday June 28 at the Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham, aims to build on the major principles and themes that were agreed at the Elms Field workshop in January, namely:
• Wokingham people wanted to consider Elms Field in the context of the whole of the town centre
• Wokingham people wanted to give input into how Elms Field and the town centre could be enhanced including establishing good quality public space.
• Wokingham people wanted the council to take an active role in regeneration of the town centre.
Wokingham Borough Council
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