Save Bray Road Water Meadows

BRAY/MAIDENHEAD
There is growing opposition to local authority plans to build a 420-pupil school on the Water Meadows on Bray Road due to –

1 INCREASED TRAFFIC DANGER AND CONGESTION
The Council has proposed the scheme as a replacement for the existing 210-pupil site on Oldfield Road. The proposed development will have a capacity of 420 pupils, increasing the traffic and congestion in the area and the risk for children.
In addition, the existing Oldfield Road site is to be retained for subsequent development of yet another school to cope with population growth, mainly in the town centre. Traffic risk and congestion for residents in and around Oldfield Road will not improve and, in addition, at least twice as much traffic will be accessing the new site in Bray Road.

2 CHILD SAFETY
The proposed site backs onto a river (The Cut). This does not make it the ideal place to build a school for children as young as 4.

3 IT WILL DESTROY OUR GREEN BELT
The proposed construction site is on designated Green Belt water meadows along Bray Road adjacent to Chalgrove Close. It will further involve the damaging construction of a flood-compensation scheme inside the existing nature reserve in Braywick Park

4 IT THREATENS THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE/ SSSI ON BRAY ROAD.
Immediately adjacent to the proposed site are two meadows which have been designated a World Heritage Site and Site of Special Scientific Interest (“SSSI”), because of their extremely rare habitat and flora which have developed over hundreds of years. The proposed construction site has the same features. . Damage will result from construction and 420 children.

5 THE RISK OF FLOOD FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS WILL INCREASE.
The meadows are in a zone 3 flood plain. The Environment Agency has advised against development of a school on the Bray Road site, because it will increase flood risk for local residents. Given increasing rainfall and increasingly frequent floods in the UK, combined with the possibility that insurers will withdraw flood risk cover next year or charge greatly increased premiums, this is bad news.

6 URBANISATION - THE SPREADING OF MAIDENHEAD - GETTING EVER CLOSER TO ENGULFING BRAY
As building extends along the Bray Road, the distinct character of this picturesque and historic village will increasingly be encroached upon by Maidenhead’s sprawl.

THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES
The Council have not followed due process in consulting those who will be affected by this scheme and have not given due consideration to possible alternatives.