See below for an update from the council about the delayed Whiteknights Dam works. They say that it will be 4-6 weeks until the works have been finished. We will keep lobbying for the works to be completed as soon as possible.
"I refer to your recent enquiry concerning the progress of the Whiteknights Reservoir Scheme.
I can confirm that to date the contractor has completed the drainage works, the gabion basket retaining structure and the concrete flood retaining wall (the wall that will protect the allotment and the homes).
The contractor is currently completing the brick cladding along the road frontage and the handrail fencing will commence shortly, followed by the reinstatement of the public footway and Allotment plots, including improvements to internal allotment footpaths and should complete their works within the next 4 - 6 week.
Reading Borough Council’s in-house Parks Department will complete the landscaping plan, which includes 3 new tress in the Allotment (Oak, Silver Birch and an apple tree), ground cover grass, Honeysuckle and native hedgerow). These works are scheduled to commence in the Autumn when it is appropriate to plant. The Scheme also included 5 new trees along the Wokingham Road corridor, to date 4 have been planted with one final tree to be installed on the central reservation near St Peter’s Road.
With regard to delays, the scheme was always going to be a very difficult one to deliver and our contractor has found it a challenge. As this is a Reservoir, the environmental constraints has caused the contractor to re-do some elements of the works, which compounded the programme. Areas that required alteration included some of the drainage. The rest of the delay has been down to sourcing approved materials to use with a reservoir and other engineering difficulties.
I trust this update provides the information you seek, however, if you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me."
