The Croft footways project derailed
A QUESTION mark is now hanging over a project to improve the footway at The Croft in Hungerford.
In 2022, the Newbury Weekly News reported how residents had voted in a public consultation in favour of widening the footpath for safety, despite it potentially coming at the cost of three parking spaces.
The Croft, one of the town’s oldest sites, contains or provides access to community facilities including the GP surgery, nursery, social club and St Lawrence Church.
Two years ago, district councillor Dennis Benneyworth (Con, Hungerford and Kintbury) told the town council: “We had a site meeting with West Berkshire Council highways, looking at potential improvements to the footways going into The Croft.
“And there’s potential for extending the footway down to Church Street and the GP surgery.
“But that would mean the loss of three parking spaces and parking is at a premium in The Croft.”
A public consultation document stated: “To provide a safer walking route from Church Street to the surgery, the footway could be widened slightly to facilitate walking frames and prams, resurfaced and extended to continue under the railway bridge along to the surgery entrance.
“However, this would result in the loss of three parking spaces.”
It then asked: “Would you be in support of this change?”
More than 74 per cent of consultees responded in favour, with the remainder opposed. But now it has emerged that the project has been derailed.
At a recent meeting of the town council’s highways and transport committee, chairman Nick Schlanker said: “They’re not going ahead with it.”
The meeting heard that, apparently as an engineer had left, the project has been deemed unworkable.
Mr Schlanker said the district council now claimed the required safety improvements would mean the loss of much more parking.
Town mayor Helen Simpson said: “That’s ridiculous.With the surgery, church, nursery and club it’s a high traffic area.”
Town councillor Richard Hudson said the area was currently “dangerous” with pedestrians having to walk in the road.
The committee agreed to request an urgent site meeting with West Berkshire Council highways chiefs to discuss the matter further.