Kings Head Meadow where Wymondham Town play football
Delight as Wymondham Town Council proposes U-turn on ASDA plans
Dominic Bareham , senior reporter
Thursday, February 16, 2012
12:25 PM
A town council could be about to withdraw plans to develop an area of recreation land as a new ASDA store, to the delight of campaigners who have fought a long battle against the proposal.
Wymondham Town Council has called an Extraordinary General Meeting at Kett’s Park in Wymondham on Tuesday to discuss a proposal to rescind the resolution made by the council in September to sell the town’s King’s Head Meadow, which is the current home of Wymondham Town FC, to ASDA.
The council’s apparent U-turn follows angry scenes at a packed council meeting at Fairland Church earlier this month when residents, including members of the Wymondham Asks Why (WAW) campaign group opposed to plans, screamed “shame on you” and “you’re supposed to be representing us” at councillors who had rejected a motion to put the sale on hold until the results of the town’s area action plan were known.
The WAW group does not want to see a greenfield site providing public recreation space, including a children’s play area, being taken by the store. Traffic was another major concern for residents.
WAW chairman Andy Gardiner described his delight at the news of the EGM, adding: “I went loopy when I heard about the EGM to be honest. Nobody is being a Nimby in this and we are all for having another supermarket in the town, but it was just the most ridiculous proposal in the world to build on King’s Head Meadow and potentially knock down a viable pub which has been systematically run down.
“The catholic church would have gone and the war memorial and then we would have seen the full extent of the development.”
An online poll conducted by the EDP asking readers if they supported the plans to develop King’s Head Meadow found 86pc were opposed.
Mid-Norfolk MP George Freeman said he had sent a number of e-mails to town councillors following the Fairland Church warning of the gravity of any decision to sell the greenfield site. He preferred ASDA to develop the store on brownfield sites in the town.
Earlier today, he said: “This is fantastic news and a tribute to all those people in Wymondham who have made clear their concerns about the development of King’s Head Meadow and the need for a vision for Wymondham to guide planning decisions.
“I am delighted that the town council has listened to the level of public anger and I hope that allparties will now be able to work together to put together a plan for the town, providing the various facilities that we need.”
The motion has been proposed by town mayor Neil Ward and supported by councillors Mike Gibbins and Colin Foulger.
Mr Foulger said the pressure from residents at the Fairland Church meeting had led to the proposal to rescind the sale.
He said no contract had been signed to sell the land to ASDA and if the motion was passed the sale would definitely not go ahead.
As part of the sale the football club would have been given a new ASDA-funded ground at Ketts Park, but Mr Foulger said if the proposal was carried, the club would have to decide on its own future bearing in mind it still had time to run on its King’s Head Meadow lease.
“The officers and the mayor and myself had a chat following the Fairland Church meeting and we felt that in the light of the residents’s concerns we should call an EGM with a proposal to rescind the decision to enter into a conditional contract to sell the King’s Head Meadow.”
Follow Dominic on Twitter @Barichel78.
Latest News
- Your iwitness24 photos from the weekend
- Norfolk and Norwich Threshold Theatre Group to bring the Little Shop of Horrors musical to Norwich Playhouse
- Spate of criminal damage to cars in Yarmouth street
- Norwich driver caught over drink limit hours after ending binge
- Norwich cannabis grower fined £100 by magistrates
Other Business Articles
- Watton-based Cranswick’s excellent year for pork products
- Norwich-based Naked Wines’ investment in ‘talent behind big names’
- Norwich airport sees growth in helicopter activity
- China trade deal to boost Norfolk economy
- North Walsham-based steel fabrication company goes into administration
- Great Yarmouth-based SES Engineering purchased by former employee
- Aviva results show flat premiums in Norwich-based general insurance
- ‘Shocking’ unemployment figures reveal jobs blackspot in Great Yarmouth
- Closure of Vanilla’s Sprowston Road shop was a turning point for the business
- What are the unemployment issues facing you?
10 comments
How utterly selfish some people are to have no concerns at all over others well being. I am pretty sure if it were to be 50yds from your homes you would think differently. Its not just about house values but having some sense of peace in our small back yards. We have enough noise to contend with already with traffic. This is not the most suitable site for a large supermarket running anything up to 24 hrs opening with delivery lorries.
Report this comment
concerned
Saturday, February 18, 2012
its not about living on norwich rd. every one use norwich rd. schools, medical centre,etc. Also, not only wym will use Asda, all around for miles will come and the town centre is not the place to have a major super market. What,s more important is people,s lives. Cars and people do not mix
Report this comment
Carol Browne
Friday, February 17, 2012
Maybe the only reason it appears there are more people against the development is because the only people likely to turn upto these meetingspolls etc are the ones opposed to it...... I for one would love an asda and WTFC will get better facilities.
Report this comment
Adam McGregor
Friday, February 17, 2012
Total sense Birdman - well done, Ange must have shares in Asda........ the right decision, yes bring a new superstore, yes provide jobs, and finally yes find a more suitable site for it. win win win all round
Report this comment
JB
Friday, February 17, 2012
Ange states that the vast majority of people want it on King's Head Meadow. Well not the 86% of people who responded to the EDP poll, not the 70+% of people in the exit poll at the ASDA presentation, not the 1000+ people who signed the original petition, not the hundreds of people attending the meeting at Fairland Church and Ketts Park. Perhaps the numbers would have been different if the Council had effectively engaged with the electorate? Of course, Mr Gardiner will be concerned about the proposal if it affects his property and local environment. Who wouldn't be concerned about traffic issues in a narrow pinchpoint on a route to the schools? At least, he has the courage to speak up. The seeking of public opinion was the purpose of the Action Plan and Cllr Savage's motion but this was ignored by the Council.
Report this comment
Birdman
Friday, February 17, 2012
In response to "Ange". The reasons it should not be built there are far outweighing the reasons in favour of it: no money will make up for the loss in heritage, the loss of a green site, the increase in traffic and safety issues, the loss of quality of life for all residents that would be affected by it. And please don't use the footfall into town as an argument: some shops might benefit and some shops will suffer. Moreover, suitable brown sites are available for development to accommodate those people who do not have cars. And fortunately there are people who believe the meadow is worth fighting for. Progress yes, but not at any cost
Report this comment
margit
Thursday, February 16, 2012
I agree with Ange,Ask everyone in the town,The council have backed down to waw having a tantrum at the meeting and they are maybe worried about losing there votes in future ballots.Its about what is right for all the people in and around the town and what we need for now and the future,Yet a few narrow minded people who are looking back and not forward are going to effect the future of all in the town,Asda will review the options and i guess that they will look for a town who sees the benefit of an employer and service they offer and we will lose out,so lets firstly hope that asda is not put off by those who have only a personal agenda and look at those who have an agenda for everyone and secondly find a way to stay and build a store for the families who need this affordable service in the town,we all cant afford to shop at waitrose waw!
Report this comment
stutrac00
Thursday, February 16, 2012
@ bookworm - I don't know what all of Wymondham wants and neither does WAW - that was the whole point of my comment. Ask everybody in Wymondham by having a ballot!
Report this comment
Ange
Thursday, February 16, 2012
i hope the meadow remains untouched.common sense dictates supermarkets are built on brown sites and not in unsuitable places. How does last poster know what all the Wymondhamites want?
Report this comment
bookworm
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Looks like those folk in WAW seem to be getting their way? Well, let's hope not. The vast majority of people want it on Kings Head Meadow - Let's have a ballot? George Freeman stated "the Town Council would set out a process for addressing both the public’s concerns, and the wider issues affecting the town, before it was pursued.” - Quite, let’s have a ballot! One thing that must be known by the people of Wymondham is the relentless bombardment and name calling received by the council from WAW. Their Caped Crusader, Andy Gardiner, sends in three or more huge letters every day! Wonder when he gets the time to do all of this unpaid work? Another really interesting fact, and based on publicly available information, is that aside from the ordinary people who have been recruited into the ranks of WAW, there are the hard core members. These people have probably rarely or never used KHM for recreational activities, but certainly own property close-by or right next to the proposed site and maybe financially affected by the development. Fine, that’s understandable – so why not stand-up and let people know that your property is affected, what’s wrong with that? I suppose the 300 year old green field site approach brings in more sympathy? Here’s another fact, people: if the KHM development doesn’t go ahead then your council receive nothing. If it’s built at another brown-field site, then the money goes straight in the pocket of a private individual or developer! Seeing things differently now? The reason it should be built there is because of its central location in the town and easy access for people without cars and increased business in the town centre. Don’t let the WAW bully everyone into seeing things their way. Stand up and do something about it. Before the EGM on Tuesday, call George Freeman and insist on a ballot for the whole town!
Report this comment
Ange
Thursday, February 16, 2012