A CONTROVERSIAL project to redevelop Hungerford town centre with a central piazza has officially been declared a “dead duck”.
A traders’ lobby had warned that the plans risked scrapping prized parking spaces.
Grappling with the issue, which had become a poisoned chalice and created bitter division, was the town centre steering group (TCSG).
At a full meeting of Hungerford Town Council on Monday night, January 6, town mayor Helen Simpson issued the following statement, which has been edited for brevity: “[The town council] has held a place on West Berkshire Council’s TCSG for about a year.
“Responsibilities were devolved to [the town council] when funding and resources… were reduced.
“Despite our very best efforts, it has become almost impossible to move forward… the TCSG has been unable to work together without disagreement.
“[The district council] was unable to bring enough funding to the table in order to move the project ideas forward.
“Living in the town for as long as I have, I feel residents would be more interested in the grass being cut, dog poo bins remaining, and the health and well-being of residents being a higher priority than a future ambition, which may or may not be delivered for which there is currently no funding.
“Hungerford Town Council has proved we can punch above our weight and deliver huge projects – The Croft activity centre, the skatepark, library… to name just a few.
“As I’ve said this hasn’t been easy for any of us, damaging long-standing relationships and good working practices is not something any of us signed up for.”
Mrs Simpson proposed withdrawing support from the TCSG with immediate effect.
Councillor James Cole responded: “I disagree with you.”
“High Streets are dying; the problem’s not going away.”
He said a town square “remains a sensible idea” and that it was “anti-democratic to ignore the wishes of the town as a result of the demands of a very small group of quite heavily vested interests”.
To scrap the project entirely amounted to “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”, he suggested.
Town chamber of commerce chairwoman Karen Salmon said that, whatever the outcome of the proposal, “on behalf of members, we’ll be withdrawing from the strategy committee”.
Hungerford Arcade owner Adrian Gilmour agreed: “It’s a dead duck.”
The council voted by a majority to withdraw from the TCSG, while Mr Cole objected.