Safety concerns hit Waterways Fun Day
All areas: Rot at amphitheatre forces organisers to relocate event
A fun day to celebrate Maidenhead’s Waterways has had to be relocated following concerns over rotting wood at the amphitheatre by Maidenhead Library.
The amphitheatre, which has been open since 2015, has been closed off since Monday after the rotting wood led to concerns over safety.
As a result, the Maidenhead Waterways Fun Day, scheduled for September 17, will be relocating its live entertainment just to the north of Chapel Arches after the group worked with Shanly Homes to find an alternative location.
Richard Davenport, a member of Friends of Maidenhead Waterways, told the Advertiser that the wood had been rotting for some time.
“The collapse in the amphitheatre has meant that it is closed and is unlikely to be useable on the fun day,” he told the Advertiser.
“It has a serious impact on our plans, because we have acts lined up to perform in there between 10am and 3pm.
“We’ve been scurrying around to come up with a Plan B, because of the extent of the damage; it’s not just literally one section, we suspect a lot more of the amphitheatre needs fundamental repair.”
He added that the group had planned to tidy the area up ahead of the fun day, although the collapse of the seating means the group ‘cannot rely upon using it for the entertainment space’
“We’ve had a hurried rethink, and we’ve been discussing with Shanly Homes and have an inprincipal agreement to use some space inside their premises (the northern crossbridge by Chapel Arches).
“They’re hurriedly finishing off some of the hoarding and paving on the east side of the northern basin, so it looks like we’re going to use that as our entertainment space.”
A spokesperson for the council said: “We have temporarily closed the amphitheatre as a precaution while we assess options for repair, with a view to carrying out remedial work as soon as possible.
“On-site signage is in place to make visitors aware that the area is closed.”
The Maidenhead Waterways Fun Day is set to take place from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, September 17.
W For more information, visit www.maidenheadbridgerotary. org.uk/waterwaysfunday