Answers demanded over Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre

Town council says it has the right to know plans after extra funding was rejected

THE Liberal Democrat members of Thatcham Town Council have demanded that their Conservative counterparts explain to them what West Berkshire Council is planning for the Nature Discovery Centre.

The town council is in the dark after being told in a letter that the district council did not want the extra £8,000 funding it was willing to offer to help fund the Muddy Lane centre, despite earlier criticism that it had not upped its contribution to the facility in many years.

The letter, from the district council's countryside manager, Paul Hendry, said that there was a review of countryside service and assets, and that they were exploring options regarding the future management of facilities.

Now the Liberal Democrats say that it is the duty of their fellow town councillors to share what they know.

Speaking at the full town council meeting on Monday, Owen Jeffery (Lib Dem, Thatcham South and Crookham) said: “I was hoping one of the Conservative district councillors could tell us what is going on.

“My concern is to know what the district council intends to do with the centre.

“It has been one of the most special and successful places.

“Now that we are getting no co-operation from the [district] council, I think the time has come for you guys [conservative members] to step up to the plate and tell us what is intended.

“Sell it? Shut it?”

Town and district councillor Roger Croft (Conservative, Thatcham South and Crookham)

said: “West Berkshire Council is considering its options about what to do with it.

“Any discussions are confidential until they are concluded.”

However, Conservative members did say that they may be able to share certain aspects of the discussions with fellow councillors but not with members of the public.

Although the district council would not give any more details about the Nature Discovery Centre, spokeswoman Peta Stoddart-Crompton said: “The discussions are about country parks and commons only, not local open spaces or recreation grounds or any other services.

“We are looking at the possibility of working in partnership with the voluntary sector to better

protect these valuable assets.

“The discussions are very much exploratory and any partnership, if it did happen, would only be considered if the partner had specialist expertise that would add value for local people.

“If the talks do prove productive, it would be a year or more before any proposals would be put forward.”

The town council has threatened to withdraw its funding from the centre unless it gets more information.

It said that without more transparency and openness from the district council, the £2,000 that is donated each tear would stop in 2013.