Hungerford Town Council clashes with Canal & River Trust over lorry damage

HUNGERFORD Town Council could be on a collision course with the Canal & River Trust over severe damage to grass verges.

The council's highways and transport committee has compiled a report of the damage reportedly caused by lorries dredging the canal at Horn Hill and Sanham Green, Hungerford.

The work was carried out over a six week period, with two lorries per hour said to have been churning up the verges on a single track road.

The committee is seeking repairs to the worst hit areas alone.

However, committee chairman Richard Hudson said the trust's contractors have refused to comply.

Mr Hudson said: "The town council is now going to approach the Canal & River Trust."

The report sent to the trust states: "A survey has been conducted on Friday, January 27 of the verges along the Horn Hill and Sanham Green section of road between the A338 and The Triangle.

"In summary there has been extensive damage to the grass verges caused by the [contractors'] trucks routing along the highway.

"The entire length has seen the grass verge edges being damaged, but we are requesting that just [some] locations be repaired.

"They are all on the north side of the road, the direction where the lorries have been mostly driving [both ways for a period].

"The works required is for the verge damage to be filled with top soil and the soil seeded with grass seed or covered with turf."

The trust has been approached for a comment.