Town centre garden still not open after £800k spend

A town centre's garden is still not open despite nearly £800,000 of public money being spent on it.

West Berkshire Council is blaming the delays on finishing the section to shore up the canal bank at Newbury's so called Peace Garden.

The project is backed by external grants of £375,000 from the Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership and £420,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – the levelling up fund.

Liberal Democrat for Newbury Central, Louise Sturgess said: "It was not being used to its best potential particularly as it is a prime location in the town centre."

The council said there are two phases to tidy up the open section of land.

The first phase is now complete and involved cutting down some trees, planting others and creating a picnic lawn.

Phase two involves putting mixed grass in new raised planters for "picnics, play and pause".

New timber benches will lead to a viewing platform by the riverfront, new metal railings to the water's edge and some more planters and trees.

A council spokesperson said: "We are unable to complete Phase 2 at the moment as it's dependent on finalising the canal sheet piling works."

It said "once the sheet piling work is delivered...we can then finalise the Peace Garden Phase 2."

Sheet piling means repairing work to the canal edge along the Wharf.

Ms Sturgess said: "The Peace Garden was not an inviting place to be.

"Improvements to the garden will make it bigger and turn it into a welcoming green space where everyone will be able to walk and relax."

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