Battle won to restore Cold War relic

West Berkshire Council announced in December that it would be selling the historic building - one of the few remaining which portays the common’s military past - having bought it in 1997 after the MoD and the United States pulled out of the airbase in 1993.
And battle lines were drawn once again in April when the parish council applied to take over the Grade-II listed tower for community use under the Government’s Community Right to Bid scheme, part of the localism act which allows community groups to purchase facilities of importance to them.
This was backed by a 1,292 signature petition started by Greenham district councillors to keep the tower in local hands.
And on Tuesday, West Berkshire Council announced it was recommending the tower be sold to the parish council in return for a ‘six figure sum.’
A final decision will be made by the council’s executive tomorrow (Thursday).
Delighted parish council chairman Tony Forward told the Newbury Weekly News: “We’re very pleased to have got this far and that officers have seen fit to recommend this bid and we hope that council members do too.
“We promise that we will bring it into community use very soon and we intend to open in time for next year’s anniversaries (including the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings), which Greenham played a major role in. It will remain serving the public for many years.”
Mr Forward said that the plans so far featured a cafe, an interpretation centre, offices and public toilets while the viewing platform would also be opened for public use.
While Mr Forward would not confirm the amount that the parish council had bid for the tower, he said the majority of funding would come from the Government and the Greenham Common Trust.
He conceded that there was likely to be some increase on the parish precept Greenham but argued that it would be no different from other parishes that kept assets on their books.
And he stressed that the aim was for the building to be entirely self-funded, not for profit and run by volunteers.
Mr Forward said that people had not been able to comment on the parish council’s plans for the tower due to the confidential nature of the bidding process but people would have a chance to have their say on the planning application if the bid was approved.
The parish council’s battle isn’t quite over yet as the district council has recommended the sale on the proviso that Greenham provides written proof that funding has been secured by January 24.
Parish and district councillor for Greenham Julian Swift-Hook, who started the petition to save the tower, said: “I’m really delighted that after all the hard work and campaigning West Berkshire Council has decided to do the right thing and sell the tower to the community. It was always supposed to be retained as a community asset and there’s no question that it’s the right decision for Greenham, the UK and the world.”
Mr Swift-Hook added that he was confident that funding for the tower would be in place by the council’s deadline.
Council leader, Gordon Lundie, said: “I’m delighted that we shall be in a position to recommend this sale to Greenham parish council. Through a competitive process we have been able to raise a six figure sum for the people of West Berkshire, showing great value for money.
“The responsibility will pass to them to provide a first class facility for both the people of West Berkshire and for those further afield, that keeps the memory alive of all that happened at Greenham Common in recent years.”