Bracknell: Gymnasium plan row leads to councillor resigning

Councillor Roger Meakes, who was a Conservative representative for Great Hollands South at Bracknell Town Council (BTC) and who twice served as deputy mayor for the town, resigned from his role earlier this week.

His departure came following a number of “issues” at the town council which had concerned Cllr Meakes.

But the tipping point was at a recent planning meeting in which the former deputy mayor claims he was “shut out” during a discussion on the contentious application to build a new gymnastics centre in the Easthampstead countryside at a meeting last week.

READ MORE: Bracknell Gymnastics centre set to be built in Easthampstead countryside

So far, 351 people have backed the proposal, with another 300 having objected to the plan.

Bracknell Town Council joined the opposition to the scheme after town councillors voted 2-1 in favour of recommending the borough council refuses the plans because of its ‘inappropriate’ location.

Councillor Meakes was the only committee member to vote in favour of the proposal, but this backing came without him having the opportunity to share information he had collected about the plan.

READ MORE: Town council asks for Bracknell gymnasium plan to be refused

Explaining why he quit the council, Mr Meakes told the News: “This is not the first time the committee has not allowed me to speak.

“The objector [to the scheme] was there and he put all his objections forward. All the chairman asked for was questions to the objector.

“I was shut down completely.

“I think the whole proceedings were thought-out well beforehand. I sent the chairman what I wanted to say and he didn’t say I couldn’t use my comments.

“I’ve sorted out three years of data and I thought ‘this must quell all the objections’. But I wasn’t allowed to say anything.

“So I turned around and thought ‘enough’s enough, I’m not having that’.

“That’s not democracy as I know it.”

Other issues Cllr Meakes raised which culminated in his decision to quit included technological and administrative problems the town council had allegedly failed to sort out during the pandemic.

READ MORE: Residents react to plan to build gymnastics centre in Bracknell

But, Mr Meakes told the News, it was the “democratic issues that killed me.”

At the town council meeting, the former deputy mayor was hoping to have the opportunity to quash “misinformation” about housing going up at the Easthampstead site where the gymnasium would go up, just south of Downshire Golf Complex.

He was also aiming to share technical details about lighting, infrastructure and landscaping information which some residents had raised concerns about.

Cllr Meakes added: “I believe in democracy. I have had over three years studying this particular project so I’ve picked up a lot of information in this time.

“So to be turned around and told I can’t use any of it, I thought that was suspicious.

“It’s not fair. It’s not fair to the public either.”

Bracknell Town Council has been contacted for comment.

A by-election to fill the role vacated by Cllr Meakes will be held if ten electors for the Great Hollands South ward given notice claiming an election to the town council.

If this does not happen, a new councillor will be co-opted.

A decision has not yet been made on the gymnasium application, which will be determined by Bracknell Forest Council in the coming weeks and months.