Wellingborough councillor warns town's waterways need clearing before a tragedy happens

Archive pic of rubbish in the Castle Fields brook.

Wellingborough Council is proposing to spend £256,000 from its capital budget next financial year on a programme to improve its brooks and waterways and leader of the Labour group Cllr Andrew Scarborough says the project cannot start soon enough.

At the resources committee on Tuesday (December 17) the councillor commended the scheme and said it was overdue.

He said: “I would urge that this be considered as a priority project.

Cllr Scarborough says the work should be done as a matter for urgency before a life is lost in the water.

“It is a huge job and at least a six-month project. But for me that one is absolutely needed before we have a tragedy.

“There are sheer cliff edges that have been cut by the brooks. If a child was to fall into this they would not get out. I think there is a serious risk to life if something is not done. The overgrown areas are magnets for anti-social behaviour. Stuff gets hidden and deals get done in those areas.”

The town has a number of brooks running through it. Cllr Scarborough said last winter the Queensway brook became backed up so much with debris that the brook came over the footbridge.

Other proposed schemes for the 2020/21 capital programme including spending £351,872 on upgrading play park equipment throughout the borough and also £58,000 on improving sport pitches.