Repairs

Back in2016 Hampshire Countryside  Service closed the river footpath for about four months to effect essential repairs, which reapairs consisted of piling sand and gravel on top of the existing short stretch of path where it passes the old Crab Lake car park. It was no surprise therefore that within a few short months and a couple of gales the repairs were badly damaged.

There have been a couple of stop gap and clearly temporary repairs made since 2016,  so it was a welcome to see in September major repair work being undertaken, even if it did involve a further path closure.

Alas those of us looking at the  way the wooded sidings had been arranged thought, that isn't going to last long, and sure enough into the first week of October and substantial parts of the surface have been washed away by the recent high tides.

Doesn't take much imagination to realise that water was going to get in under  and over the wooden shoring plans and wash away the relatively soft sand and gravel.

Appreciating this is a small example,but our councils and local politicians endlessly claim that more money is needed for front line services, yet demonstrate a reckless waste in the use of our taxes by not doing the job correctly the first tor second times. It would come as no surprise, if when the current problems get worse, the Countryside  Service will want to close the path on health and safety grounds.

The above shows the results of the almost total lack of maintenance to this highly used public amenity during the past 20 years.