AN INCENSED councillor has slammed the council for “heavily downgrading” an award-winning Maidenhead park.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have removed a “leaking” top pond and its associated streams and wooden bridge in Kidwells Park due to maintenance costs. It will be laid back to grass.

The bottom pond and fountain have remained and the council said it will review options to see what it can replace the upper backfilled pond with.

Cllr Gurch Singh (Lib Dem: St Mary’s) said the park has been left in a “disgraceful state of disrepair” for over two years now and criticised the council’s decision to backfill the pond as “ill-thought-out”.

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Kidwells Park has been described as an “oasis” and was awarded a Green Flag over ten years ago in recognition of achieving the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Singh said people are “very upset” that the works have “heavily downgraded” Kidwells Park.

He said: “If the borough can’t afford to maintain [the top pond], I am sure we could have spoken to a local business who would have sponsored that in the future and paid money for the upkeep and maintenance.

“I’m not asking for a new pond or new feature; I’m asking just to maintain what we’ve got.”

Slough Observer: The top pond and associated stream and wooden bridge have been removed by the council The top pond and associated stream and wooden bridge have been removed by the council (Image: Cllr Gurch Singh)

He also said the lead member for parks, Cllr Gurpreet Bhangra (Con: Boyn Hill), has not met up with him and fellow ward councillor Donna Stimson (Con) to discuss this issue despite promising to do so at November’s full council meeting when Cllr Singh questioned Cllr Bhangra on Kidwells Park.

Cllr Bhangra said details of the plans were “clearly provided” at November’s meeting and officers are still reviewing options and systems for the upper section.

Cllr Singh also took aim at the council for a “series of attacks” on the park’s beauty, saying the tennis courts have become ‘pay-to-play’ and the Royal Borough “refuses” to reopen the café, which was closed four years.

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In response, Cllr Bhangra said: “There has been a considerable amount of investment in Kidwells Park this financial year which shows we are fully committed to invest in our wonderful parks across the Royal Borough.

“The surface for the play area has been replaced and, in addition, funding has been secured from the Lawn Tennis Association to improve the tennis courts.”