WORKS to stabilise a wall structure that prevents a towpath from falling into a canal is seeing vandalism on a causing issues for east Reading residents.
Last month, Reading Borough Council started work on the project on a stretch between Kenavon footbridge and the Horseshoe bridge over the mouth to the Kennet and Avon Canal.
The pedestrian route is used by Newtown residents to get to the Tesco store and Kings Meadow, as well as cycling commuters heading into Reading town centre or Caversham.
The footpath has been closed until December 22 to allow the essential works to take place, which includes removing rotten timbers, shoring up voids in the footpath and strengthening the load capacity of the walls.
It is a £720,000 project, and will include replacement guardrails to help stop anyone falling in the water.
Despite the closures, residents have been seen trying to break through the barricades in order to carry on using the footpath.
Park ward councillor Rob White wants Reading Borough Council to do something to keep residents safe and happy, as the diversion is along School Terrace onto Liverpool Road and then London Road, returning to the Thames Path along the A3290 to access it at the Wokingham Waterside Centre – quite a trek for anyone looking for a short cut that takes them away from traffic on London Road.
The leader of the main opposition party on the council said: “It was disappointing that Labour-run Reading council closed the towpath with virtually no notice and no decent workaround for residents.
“On the first weekend after the closure no substantial works had taken place and so access could have been reopened for the weekend at the very least.
“The engineers tell me that the fencing is being vandalised every night and people are walking through the building site which now includes some very deep trenches. There is already a partial pontoon allowing people working on the site to walk on the river.
“I don’t see why a longer pontoon couldn’t be put in to improve access for residents and the health and safety on the building site.”
A Reading Borough Council spokesperson said this request wasn’t possible.
“The closure of the footpath is necessary to protect residents whilst essential works are carried out,” they told Reading Today.
“Unfortunately, the possibility of an extended pontoon is not possible without significant risk to residents, and we place their safety as our paramount consideration.
“For their own safety, pedestrians and cyclists will need to continue to follow the marked diversion route.
“We are concurrently exploring security options to deter vandalism and ensure the site is secure.”
