FOOTBALL stadium, rowing centre, railway station, nature reserve, homes, offices. What is planned for the Marlow Gravel Pits? DAVID LANGTON reports.

ONE of the most exciting developments in Marlow's history has come a step closer this week.

Landowners and interest groups have finally put forward their vision for the gravel pit site to the east of the Marlow bypass the subject of endless debate for many years.

With 800 acres up for development, bearing in mind Marlow town centre makes up just 117 acres, the potential is massive.

A vast array of suggestions have been banded about with stadiums, nature reserve and railway station put forward.

Some landowners are keen to introduce housing and businesses on the site to help pay for the important project but environmental groups are desperate to prevent overdevelopment of the green belt land.

Ron Waters, chairman of the Marlow Society, said the development should respect the green belt status of the area. He added: "We like the idea of a nature reserve, quiet leisure and developing the water facilities."

North West Estates own the lion's share of the site and its proposals include 350 homes and 30,000 square metre of office space.

Pelhamcrest and Harleyford Holdings own a smaller amount of the land but claim their acreage is crucial to any proposed development of the site.

Their plans don't include housing but do incorporate two commercial buildings of 150,000 sq ft one on land owned by Harleyford Holdings and the other on the part of the site owned by North West Estates.

A commercial development of 300,000 sq ft can be compared for size with the 250,000 sq ft Rank Xerox building on the Globe Park business estate on the other side of the bypass.

Richard Brown, of North West Estates, and the architect Michael Tebbot from Pelhamcrest both emphasise that any development has to be economically viable from the landowners' standpoint.

Work has already started on a 168-bedroom hotel in the south of the site.

Pelhamcrest sold the site to the Scottish BDL Hotel which has set up a new company The Marlow Hotel Group.

It has applied to Bass Hotels to run the hotel as a Crowne Plaza four star de luxe international.

James Campbell, Marlow town and district councillor and chairman of town council's Marlow environment and transportation committee, said: "If managed properly this could be excellent for Marlow but the 350 homes is a bit of a worry. That seems like quite a large number."

He added: "I think it will be quite a narrow line in striking the right balance between commercial development and maintaining a countryside flavour."

Two proposals have been welcomed by almost everyone the relocation of Marlow Football Club and a new rowing centre.

Northwest West Estates' plans include a stadium to the north west of the site and a rowing complex to the south.

If the stadium is built the current site at the Alfred Davis Memorial Sports Ground in Oak Tree Road, Marlow, will be freed up for some 75 homes.

Terry Staines, chairman of Marlow Football Club, said the proposal would include two full-size pitches, an all-weather training pitch and a large parking area which could be utilised for a park and ride scheme during the week.

He said: "We are very restricted at our current site.

"If this goes through we will have a much bigger area which will benefit us financially and offer better facilities to the town's footballers, young and old."

The rowing complex would offer a 5,000m river course going down to Cookham and a still water site in the form of one of the old gravel pits.

Peter Hunt, chairman of the rowing club, said: "We are very keen to see this happen.

"There is no intention to move the rowing club from its current location but as we are bulging at the seams, we need another site.

"The still water will be very useful for our youngsters to learn to scull."

One of the less publicised suggestions for the site, which is bordered by the Bourne End to Marlow railway line, is a small railway station to serve the area.

Cllr Campbell welcomed the proposal.

He said: "A small railway station is an excellent idea. It would make that whole area accessible.

"Not only those taking advantage of the leisure and sporting facilities but also people coming to work in the Globe Park Estate."

Cllr Chris Oliver, chairman of Wycombe District Council's planning, environment and transportation committee, says council officers are now sifting through responses put forward by planners at a meeting of the interested groups last Thursday.

From that, they will prepare a document setting out the favoured options for public consultation.

"At the end of the day, we want a scheme which has the backing of the local community, " he said.