Wokingham Town Council is due to begin digging a total of 22 trial holes near the Town Hall, starting on 9 January, as part of plans to refurbish Market Place.
Detailed scanning already taken of the area shows a ‘spaghetti junction’ of services and utilities beneath the surface, so the exploratory holes will give a more exact picture of the work needed, the timescales, and therefore the costs which can then be considered.
The joint scheme, involving the town council and Wokingham Borough Council, hopes to revitalise Market Place to make it more flexible for events and businesses, and more inclusive and welcoming for residents and visitors.
Neighbours on Market Place have already been told about the work being carried out during January, but they will be individually contacted again when they are directly affected.
Every effort will be made to minimise the impact of this work, but it will cause some disruption and is likely to be noisy at times.
Towards the end of the programme the road outside Boots will need to be temporarily closed, with traffic using the bus lane and buses re-routed.
The aim of the overall project is to deliver a newly refurbished space, levelled to be more inclusive and offer greater flexibility for events to take place.
Importantly it will also provide better utilities for the market and offer the opportunity for local cafes, restaurants and public houses to flow out during warmer months.
This will ensure that the town centre has a high quality space which welcomes our residents and community alike.
Cllr Peter Lucey, chairman of the Town Council Working Party, said: "I am very pleased that we are making progress with the work to deliver the newly refurbished Market Place.
“This has been a long time ambition of the Town Council and we are delighted to be working with the borough council to deliver this for the whole community. Whilst there will be disruption, the end result will be worth it.”
