Newbury taxpayers counting the cost of Victoria Park 'crackgate' dispute

The council has spent £50,113.08 on legal fees in the last six months and admitted that most of that is related to the legal battle.
Between July 1 and September 30 2014, the council shelled out £33,676.56 in fees and in the last quarter of the year, from October 1 to December 31, spent another £16,436.52.
However the council has admitted that the four-year battle with Costain, which has now cost in excess of £100,000, is no closer to being resolved.
The council has been locked in a dispute with the developer since cracks appeared in the town centre park, nearby pavements and homes after water extraction works were undertaken to build Parkway’s underground car park in 2010.
The cracks damaged sporting facilities in the park, including Newbury’s historic bowls club lawns, while residents complained of damage in their homes and Victoria Park Nursery School was also affected.
The town council launched legal proceedings shortly after the damage appeared and the ongoing dispute has racked up considerable costs which include legal fees, professional reports and a hydrogeological survey, on top of more than £6,000 spent repairing damage.
Council leader Julian Swift-Hook said that discussions with Costain were ongoing.