Thatcham to run replacement warden service
Town council takes on service cut by district council
THATCHAM is going it alone and is providing its own replacement for the town’s Neighbourhood Warden Service.
The wardens clean up community areas and also help tackle anti-social behaviour across Newbury, Thatcham and the east of the district.
But the service, deemed as vital for Thatcham, will cease today (Thursday) because of West Berkshire Council and Sovereign Housing cutting its funding.
Thatcham Town Council has £61,000 budgeted towards the wardens as part of its contribution towards the tri-funded scheme.
Desperate to secure a replacement for the crucial service, the town council sought out alternatives, including a scheme from the Newbury Business Improvement District (BID).
The BID was looking to take on the wardens service to cover Newbury, Thatcham, Greenham and Cold Ash.
But Thatcham has opted to go its own way after town councillors heard the workings in a behind closed doors meeting.
Council leader Jason Collis (Con, Thatcham North) said that the BID scheme would not have met its needs.
He added that councillors felt it would not have had the same local support enjoyed from the existing team.
Instead the town council has chosen its current grounds maintenance contractor, ISS Facility Services Landscaping, to cover the warden’s environmental work.
The pro-active approach will see ISS patrol the town, reacting to issues as soon as they arise, at a cost of £3,750 a month.
However, the service isn’t like-for-like as only one ISS employee will cover the town instead of four wardens.
When asked whether the one-man patrol would be enough, Mr Collis said: “I believe the environmental work will be looked after by the contract we have put in place.”
However, he said the town council would review the system when the contract came up for renewal in March 2017.
The town council scheme will be managed by the town’s former senior neighbourhood warden, Naomi Mildenhall, who will bring her 14-year knowledge and experience to the project.
Speaking at a recent meeting deputy leader Richard Crumly (Con, Thatcham Central) said the town council was entering new and uncharted territory.
Mr Crumly said he had been approached by other councils who expressed disappointment over Thatcham’s decision to not sign up to the BID scheme.
But he said: “Thatcham is big enough to have its own service.
“It’s within budget, it’s a good one and I think we should get on with it.”
Managing director of the Newbury BID, Russell Downing, said that Thatcham’s decision had spelt the end for his scheme.