Facelift for The Cuttings

For many years, passengers arriving at the rail station had the choice of walking down a narrow, dingy and overgrown path known as The Cuttings or taking the longer but more open route crossing the track and arriving via the Tesco store.
However during the last few months town mayor Martin Crane has commissioned work, carried out by the community payback team led by a probation officer, which has transformed this entrance to the town.
Mr Crane said: “Not surprisingly, many used to choose the route via Tesco, especially in winter when poor lighting and encroaching vegetation made the alternative even less appealing.”
The payback team worked Sundays and the team, initially comprising around five people, began by renovating the iron railings that run trackside.
The results were soon being admired by passersby and Mr Crane said: “It became obvious that what might have been a boring task became a source of pride. Each Sunday it seemed that the numbers on the team grew, maybe by choice, until there were ten people actively and enthusiastically putting the final touches to this project.”
The team scraped and painted the railings and lamp posts brightened them up with some decorative features in ‘Hungerford blue’ and gold. They also cut down overgrown hedges, weeded the path and filled four skips in the process.
Mr Crane said: “The transformation of the area which includes the town car park is amazing and today The Cuttings forms a truly attractive, safer and a more welcoming introduction to the town.”