Officials consider sell off of Atherstone Sites

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Another amazing chapter revolving around planning decisions in Atherstone is set to unravel. This follows hard on the heels of alleged irregularities and the employment of a former housing official who had an undisclosed criminal record.

According to a reliable source Borough officials have instructed a top notch firm of regeneration surveyors to investigate disposal of land and property owned by the council.

These far reaching ideas, as yet only in the consultation stage could lead to major changes within the town.

Targets for disposal include the leisure centre, the football club site, public car parks and surprisingly the council depot on Sheepy Road. The proposals also include various other parcels of land owned by the borough.The future of Atherstone Town football club (The Adders) is complicated by a proposal to relocate them to the playing field at the Queen Elizabeth School.

Intriguingly the controversy surrounding the Phoenix Yard derelict site has a new twist. The officials are considering a brand new Council HQ to be built on the site with the existing offices being sold .Muti-millionaire Alan Lloyd’s company “Arragon Property” has been involved in a four year battle to develop the site. All applications have been rejected by the planning committee; reasons cited have included the so called lack of affordable housing and opinions that the access was insufficient. Borough officials however seem to want this site for their new HQ. This odd thing of course beggars questions as to the real reasons for successive refusals of Arragon’s plans.

It must be stated as above that these proposals are as yet only in the consultation stage, but if adopted will lead to significant changes in the town’s landscape and economic future.