TAXPAYERS in Birch Hill have been left reeling after it emerged the council spent more than £1,500 on rebuilding a crumbling wall near residential properties, despite repair work having already been done by a concerned resident.

Contractors were hired by Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) to re-use existing bricks and lay 35 new ones in order to build up the wall in September 2017.

Max White, who undertook rebuilding work on the crumbling and "dangerous" wall two months earlier, told the News: “It’s outrageous - it could have been done for £50.

“I’m absolutely outraged, not only at the cost, but at the dismissive nature of this council.

“It’s absolutely appalling.”

Issues with the wall, pictured, began in spring 2017 when residents alerted the council to its “dangerous” condition.

However, in July 2017, Mr White rebuilt the wall to a point so only a top row of bricks needed laying, and ward councillor Sandra Ingham was informed of his work after being written to one month later.

Neighbours of the wall saw Mr White undertaking the work, which included paying for sand, cement and tools to make the area safe.

Councillor Sandra Ingham, a ward member for Birch Hill, observed the wall at Melrose, Birch Hill, after she was requested to visit it in August 2017.

The council received a quote for fixing the wall in September 2017 and two workmen visited the site on 26 September, 2017, adding the top layer of bricks required for the wall in under two hours.

In May 2018 it was revealed the council paid £1,500 to contractors and since then, residents have been at loggerheads with councillors, demanding accountability in the rebuilding process and questioning how the council arrived at this cost.

Cllr Ingham sent an email to Mr White in September 2018 which acknowledged his role in making the wall secure again, as it read: “I have responded to the officer stating that you undertook a lot of the work yourself”.

The News asked the council to clarify whether Mr White’s work was taken into account when BFC handed over £1,500 to contractors Kier, and in a statement, BFC said: “The wall had been put out of alignment and displaced by a rhododendron bush that had bowed the wall. The council arranged the repair using one of its approved contractors which was selected in accordance with the prescribed contracting arrangements. The contractor replaced 35 bricks with new ones and re-used a number of existing bricks once they had been removed and cleaned. Local residents have suggested the price was high and the work not to an acceptable standard and made contact with local councillors to express their dissatisfaction.

“Councillors have liaised with officers and whilst the new bricks do not exactly match the originals, the work is serviceable and acceptable to the council. A private individual may be in a position to carry out the work at a lower cost but the council is bound by rules concerning tendering, commissioning, local competition and safety. In light of the environment in which the council has to operate, the price and quality was within the acceptable range for the work undertaken. The wall is now repaired, aligned, safe and serviceable.

“The council and members have responded to the local residents’ concerns and believe nothing further can be achieved by continued discussions with local residents."

Residents have taken issue with the council’s suggestion that the “price and quality was within the acceptable range for the work undertaken”, and an email from Cllr Ingham to Mr White stated: “the director (former Director of Environment, Culture and Communities at Bracknell Forest Council Vincent Paliczka) accepts this particular job is not great value for money and today he will be ensuring that going forward his Chief Officer will assure himself that all contracts, however small, are value for money.”

Mr White has called for Cllr Ingham to resign due to her role in the process, but she told the News: “I always work hard for my residents but sometimes it is just not possible to get what they want.

“To understand what the council are saying we have to accept that the council is bound by really strict rules with insurance and so the council considers the price and quality to be acceptable.

“What the council can’t do is shop about for the cheapest deal. They are bound by strict rules. They operate in a specific way.

“At the time I had to understand what it was was that led to the price. From Mr White’s perspective he thought that would be a lot of money to spend.

“The council is happy with Kier and the standard they have set.

“I work hard for my residents. If there is something I can help them with in any way I will do that.”

Neighbours of Mr White have come together to write to senior council members demanding accountability for the cost and the rebuilding work.

Nicola Goddard, who lives next door to Mr White, told the News: “It seemed like an awful lot of money.

“It’s just upsetting to think our council tax is £1,600 a year.

“That's the heartbreaking thing - there’s cuts left, right and centre and that’s our council tax for the year gone.

“It’s just extortionate.

“We don’t want to fall out with councillors, but when we raise something to them we want to feel it’s being taken seriously, not just swept under the carpet.

“I wish they hadn’t come and put 35 bricks on the wall because it’s just caused upset to everybody.”