Council set to provide water at games area

A WATER station is set to be installed at Memorial Park in Sonning Common after the parish council agreed to spend more than £2,000 to fund one.

At a meeting last week, councillors voted to purchase an anti-vandal watering station proposed to be installed next to the multi-use games area.

The facility will cost the council £1,900 plus £500 for installation.

It will also require an annual maintenance cost estimated at £300 to £350 after one year, depending on specific servicing required.

Councillor Jonny Bidgood abstained from the vote, saying he didn’t see the need for the facility and was concerned there was a “high risk” it would attract vandals.

However, parish clerk Andy Donachie said thought had gone into the location to minimise the risk of vandalism to the facility, which would take “some effort” to pull down.

He said: “I can reassure you it comes with a large mounting plate, and it is sunk into concrete, so it will take some effort to pull that down. I believe the coating is solid metal so it will take some going over.

“The positioning nearer the fence of the multi-use games area will make it more awkward for people to get a purchase on it.

“The need and want for CCTV will hopefully also help in the longer term.”

Cllrs Brian Robinson, Leigh Rawlins, Rick Scannell and Vicky Boorman all recognised the need for the facility.

Cllr Robinson said: “I’ve been asked more than
20 times why there is not a watering station there for either people who are doing sports or people who are walking around or even children who have got no water bottles there on a summer’s day.

“Anecdotally I can attest to certainly a request from many villagers for it.”

Cllr Scannell said: “There is a possibility that everything can be vandalised, and we can’t do nothing because of that theoretical possibility.”

Cllr Rawlins said: “If you’re going to be having activity it is important that people can have hydration. The very more so if it happens to be on a hot day that they’re doing it.”