On The Rails

Keen eyed residents will have spotted work being carried out at the Churchway boundary of Banks Park this week — to replace the railings.

Originally it was intended that they should have been repainted. However, when a survey was carried out to obtain a quote for repainting the railings, it became apparent that many panels were badly corroded at the base, and that this would necessitate sandblasting and repair work to be carried out before repainting could begin.

The cost of replacing the railings proved to be only a little more than repainting them, and brand new railings will provide a much longer term solution.

All of the bow-top railings along Churchway and Banks Road (alongside the former health centre, the library and at the corner by the dentist) are being replaced. It is expected that the work will be completed on Friday 31st July.

As part of the replacement project, some of the shrubs and trees on the perimeter of Banks Park need to be cut back to allow access to the railings, so village handyman Jim, parish councillor John Wheeler and local tree surgeon Nick Heath have been working with the contractor to tidy up the planting. This will also include removing a lot of the ivy that has grown around the trees.

Nick Heath will also carry out other tree work on Banks Park along the borders with Printers Piece and Spicers Yard. The willow tree behind Jim's workshop will be taken down as it is old and dying and has starting causing damage to the workshop.

The contractor chosen to carry out the railing replacement work is Steelway Fensecure who gave the most competitive quote.

The work is being paid for out of the Banks Park Trust fund — the charity fund set up many years ago for the maintenance of Banks Park and the Woodways playing field, for which the Parish Council is the Trustee.