Newbury and District Agricultural Society members vote in crunch Newbury Showground decision tonight

THIS evening (Monday, September 13), members of the Newbury and District Agricultural Society will vote on whether the showground in Chieveley should be sold.

The society board wants to sell the freehold of Newbury Showground, or part of it, to help balance the books after claiming it has fallen into financial difficulty.

But society members claim they should have the power to decide – not the board – and have forced an extraordinary general meeting this evening.

Steve Ackrill represents hundreds of members who don't want the ground sold.

He said: "We set out as a group to get the members to have a voice and so they could be consulted.

"Personally I hope they vote to save the showground so it isn't sold."

He added that more than 500 people had responded to an online poll run by the Save The Showground group, with 98 per cent in favour of keeping ownership with the society.

The 177-acre site, which is located in a prime spot at the crossroads of the M4 and A34 at Chieveley, has been home to the Royal County of Berkshire Show since 1984.

However, substantial six figure losses from the 2018 and 2019 shows, combined with a fall in showground lettings income, a large bank loan and the reduction in free cash reserves meant even before the pandemic the society’s finances were "not in good shape".

The society added that the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 shows due to the pandemic then "made things much worse".