RAISING the boardwalk at the Heath could be like throwing money down the drain, says a Petersfield town councillor.

At a meeting of the grounds committee last Thursday Brian Dutton questioned contracts manager Mike LeeÕs plan to lift the wooden boardwalk at the Sussex Road side of the pond to keep it from going underwater.

The town council has recognised the problem of the slippery walkway and has been given a quotation to complete the work.

Mr Lee said: ÒTo lift the whole thing up and insert another sleeper would cost £1,718 which I think is amazingly cheap. This would raise the boardwalk by about six inches.Ó

An application for funds to complete the project will be submitted to East Hampshire District Council. The money would come from developersÕ contributions. But Mr Dutton said carrying out the work might be wasting money.

He told members of the committee that the council would be able to control the water level at the Heath better if the sluices worked properly.

He told The Herald after the meeting: ÒThe sluices at the north east side of the pond have not been sorted out for years.

ÒThey might have been cleared five or six years ago but a lot of muck has got in there and blocked things up. If they were cleared we might be able to control the water level better and make sure the boardwalk is above water so people can use it.Ó

ÒAt the moment no-one has been able to get in there and investigate what the problem is. I just donÕt want the council to waste money on this when it could be used for something more important.Ó

At last ThursdayÕs meeting Mike Lee told councillors that the drain could be broken or blocked with mud or litter.

John Crowhurst suggested an alternative solution to the problem. He said an open drain should be created so water can flow towards the willows at the old golf course fairway.

Mr Lee said he would investigate the situation with Chris Jenner, who says help to unblock the drain could be provided by the local fire service. An application for developersÕ contribution funds will be submitted to East Hampshire District Council.