Contamination will not derail Vision's plan for cycle track

For several years now an idea to turn the former landfill site in Lower Way into a cycle and BMX track for community and wider use had been discussed by members of the the town council and Thatcham Vision.
It is currently redundant but used by dog walkers.
At last week's executive meeting of West Berkshire Council, town and district councillor, Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) asked whether the executive portfolio holder could share any plans and/or opportunities that existed to bring the former council tip in Lower Way back into recreational use?
But, portfolio holder for planning, transport, property and highways, Keith Chopping (Con, Sulhamstead) said in response that the council had no immediate plans to change the site to recreational use as there was a contamination issue with it.
He added that as it was formerly landfill, it still suffered from contamination but that it was regularly monitored by West Berkshire Council.
However in response, a town councillor and member of the Thatcham Vision have said they are certain that solutions to the site’s problems can be found.
Project manager of Thatcham Vision, Mireille Willan, said rather than approaching West Berkshire Council with the problems, they would do their homework and then present a solution to these problems.
The vision in currently in the process of researching and writing a formal proposal to go to West Berkshire Council, which she said, would have solutions in it as to how the problems could be solved rather than just explaining the problem.
Ms Willan said: "We don't just want to send a proposal saying this will be nice; we want to say we can stop the gassing by doing this and we can get the funding.
"We know what the issues are and we are trying to find a way around them.
"I don't think it's going to be in the next couple of months but we are looking at this as a long term project."
Town councillor and ward member, Gary Johnson (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said that they had had a similar problem at Pound Lane while they were fighting developers to be able to turn that land into play area.
About the Lower Way site, he said: "At the moment it's unused with only one or two dog walkers so it must be relatively safe.
"Let's be positive about it.
"This is something we can change like at Pound Lane.
"I'm quite happy to sit down and listen to Keith Chopping and hear his concerns and see whether we can resolve them."