Sink hole repairs start in Charvil

Repair work on Charvil’s sink hole starts today, April 2, after an agreement to jointly fund the project was reached by Wokingham borough council and Charvil parish council.

In November 2023 a large sink hole appeared in the East Park Farm car park, a facility well-used by recreational ground users and parents with children at the adjacent school.

Since then, the entire area has been cordoned off and a dispute had broken out over who would pay for the repairs, starting at a minimum of £18,000.

Wokingham borough council installed the car park a decade ago, yet initially felt that the repair costs should be covered by Charvil parish council, who manage the land.

In December a spokesperson from Charvil parish council told the Advertiser that footing that bill would be a struggle as it was almost a quarter of its annual precept of £90,000.

Negotiations over the past few months have avoided any legal wranglings between the borough and the parish council and an agreement was reached in January for the pair to jointly share the repair costs.

Since then consultants have been appointed and further investigative works were carried out to determine the ‘pinpoint of the cause of the hole’ so that the ‘most effective repair can be made in due course’.

As repair works commence Charvil parish council advises: ‘Please be aware that there will be machinery operating in the area, and exercise caution if accessing the car park by foot, paying close attention to any posted safety notices.’