Contact: John Tickle, ext 6000

1. Introduction

1.1 At the meeting held on 6th December 2000, Councillor Dawson requested that a report was presented at this meeting regarding the feasibility of reopening the former car park to the south of Vigo Lane.

2. Closure of the car park

2.1 It is believed that the car park was closed primarily as it was frequently used by travellers for illegal encampments. Other abuses of the area may have been a factor in deciding to close the site.

2.2 The closure of the car park was implemented by importing large quantities of soil, rubble, etc. to block the entrance, create bunds across the car park and also to create mounds between the bunds. The quantity of material involved has not been assessed but is believed to be in the order of several hundred tonnes.

3. Current access to the western end of Yateley Common

3.1 The western end of the Common is fairly heavily used by residents of the Tudor Drive area and Monteagle Estate. These visitors generally walk direct from their home to the Common.

3.2 Visitors from further afield park either in the lay-bys opposite Blackbushe Business Park or further west along Vigo Lane. Although there is no agreement with the owners of Blackbushe Airport, a considerable number of visitors park in their car park and there has never been any attempt to prevent this.

4. Costs of reopening the car park

4.1 No formal quotations have been obtained as there is no funding available to carry out the works and it was not considered appropriate to ask contractors to quote for work that cannot be implemented in the short term.

4.2 Rough calculations of the cost of removal of the soil and rubble, disposal of this material and the associated landscaping, indicate that the total cost would be in excess of £25,000. It is possible that the cost would be considerably in excess of this figure.

4.3 This sum is considerably more that the total annual budget for the Northern Area Sites. It is also more than a fifth of the annual Countryside Service capital budget and more than half of the capital budget after repairs to buildings and structures are taken into account.

4.4 Additional costs in staff time and from the budget would be incurred if the car park were reopened as a result of dealing with the abuse, fly tipping, etc. that all car parks on Yateley Common receive. This site is particularly isolated and would undoubtedly suffer from considerable abuse.

5. The Traveller situation

5.1 Although there have been no travellers on Yateley Common for several years, there remain large numbers in the general area. Indeed Yateley Town Council has been pressing for the reopening of the official site at Dummer due to the problems that traveller encampments have caused locally.

5.2 We have made every effort to prevent illegal encampments on the Common and the creation of an area in Vigo Lane which they could use, would seem to be a retrograde step. Judging from comments received, illegal encampments on the Common cause more concern and distress to visitors than any other activity.

6. Nature Conservation

6.1 English Nature have expressed concern about reopening this car park as it would create a `honeypot' pressure point in a currently relatively undisturbed part of the Common.

6.2 Reopening this car park would make it difficult for English Nature and the County Council to defend against applications for housing developments on adjacent land using the previously successful arguments about disturbance of breeding birds.

7. Conclusions

7.1 For the following reasons it is recommended that the former car park off Vigo Lane should remain closed:-

- There are several alternatives in that part of the Common and there would seem to be little demand for it to be reopened.

- The cost would be excessive and quite possibly could not be funded in the foreseeable future.

- The threat of traveller encampments remains.

- The site would become subject to a wide range of abuses which would take up staff time, preventing more positive work from taking place.

- English Nature have expressed concern about the proposal to reopen the car park.

Recommendation

That the former car park off Vigo Lane remain closed for the reasons outlined in the report.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works.

2 Documents which disclosure exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.