Councillors have stuck to their plans to block Maidenhead United’s move to Braywick Park.
The council’s cabinet delivered the latest move in the long-running saga on December 13 when petitions, for and against, were discussed. Speakers from athletics and rugby clubs, which currently use the space at Braywick Park, spoke for and against (respectively) the proposed move for the club.
But councillors decided to reaffirm an earlier decision not to sell the Braywick Park site.
The meeting heard that councillors had approved in principle a move for the club in December 2019. A lease at Braywick Park was agreed in April 2022 but later that decision was reversed after the council’s place overview and scrutiny panel forced a rethink earlier this year.
Cllr Lynne Jones told the December 13 meeting: “We looked into this and we took account of benefits and the objections raised and I can see there’s huge benefits to Maidenhead United and I can see that there are benefits to other clubs – but not all of them.
“Looking into the policies of the council around open space, Braywick is Green Belt and council policy is that existing open space will be protected, maintained and where possible, enhanced.
“This is public open space. It is part of our green infrastructure, It’s been allocated as part of our green infrastructure.
“And the view within the BLP (Borough Local Plan) is that it will retain rural open character. It is also supposed to be increasing biodiversity by avoiding development next to the existing areas of biodiversity which will prevent noise and light pollution, affecting wildlife.
“I’m finding it really hard because I can see the benefits, and I can see the social benefits of it, but to me we are not using our policies that we have set down.
“I believe it should be kept as open space. It’s a Green Belt open space but public.”
After the vote, chair of the meeting Cllr Simon Werner said: “It’s been a tough decision for all of us. At the end of the day, we can’t win because whichever way we go, we are going to upset people but now we have made a decision and it’s really important for me to move forward in the new year.
“Josh (Cllr Joshua Reynolds) and I are very keen to meet with various clubs at Braywick to look at ways that we can improve the sports provision – at Braywick and across the borough – and to see what we can do to help Maidenhead United move forward as well.”
Image shows the existing York Road ground.
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