Lost the plot: error over bore holes work

WOKINGHAM Borough Council has apologised after workmen damaged plots at an allotment and turning up without warning anyone.

Last Friday, contractors went to Winnersh Allotments to begin preparations for the new North Workingham Distrubutor Road. As we reported last week, the council will take over the plots next autumn to create the new link road.

But last week, to the surprise of allotment holders, a drilling rig was driven across six plots, destroying raised beds, crops and a water tap.

One of the allotment holders told The Wokingham Paper: “Wokingham Borough Council didn’t notify us of the drilling rig coming in. WBC didn’t tell Winnersh Parish Council either.

“We, the legal tenants, need the legal notification and time to make the changes we need for the move to the new plots.”

A WBC spokesperson said: “We apologise that Winnersh Parish Council and allotment holders were not informed that this early, exploratory work was to start and we have now paused the work until the parish can be fully briefed.

“But the suggestion that actively-used allotment plots have been damaged is simply not true and, although a tap did have to be moved, this has been replaced.

“When the contractors arrived, they spoke to allotment holders and were advised that the best route for equipment to reach the bore holes was via some plots that had not been used for a considerable time and that is the route they followed.

“Some tracks were made through these unused plots and the contractors will return to the site to ensure no permanent marking remains.”

Winnersh Parish Council, which owns the allotments, declined to comment.