AN end is in sight for Folly Hill residents blighted for almost a month by a collapsed sewer in Farnham Park - but a councillor has warned it will be a “very complicated and complex” repair, requiring extensive engineering works in the ancient woodland.

Last week The Herald reported that a large section of the sewer serving much of north Farnham collapsed in mid-December, flooding public footpaths with raw sewage and polluting the Nadder stream which feeds into the River Wey.

Responding, Thames Water disconnected the sewer and has pumped the waste manually into tankers since December 19, requiring regular HGV movements between Hampton Road and an alternative sewer in Gravel Road.

However, last Friday (January 5) the utility company installed temporary pumping equipment at the end of Shady Nook and an above-ground pipe, so they could divert the sewage without having to use tankers.

This work was completed on Tuesday - but as a precautionary measure Julia Potts, the councillor for Upper Hale, has confirmed two tankers are going to be left at the bottom of Hampton Road until a permanent solution is found.

“In terms of repairing the sewer, it’s going to be a very complicated and complex job,” added Miss Potts, who is also leader of Waverley Borough Council.

“I attended a meeting between Thames Water and council officers last Friday and walked the affected area. The area requiring the new pipe is set in dense ancient woodland in the park.

“The work required and the challenges faced in terms of the ecological and historical sensitivities of the site, the geography and overall sensitivities are significant and should not be underestimated.”

According to the council leader, Thames Water need to repair 145 metres of pipe, and to do this they need to clear vegetation, remove some small trees and set up a compound for a repair team inside the park at the first Shady Nook entrance.

Miss Potts continued: “Thankfully no mature trees need to be removed but there will be a temporary track through the woodland. To reduce damage to the ground Thames Water has confirmed all the vehicles will be no more than 13 tonnes.”

Some semi-mature trees, which run along the line of the damaged pipe, will also need to be removed. But these will be logged so Thames Water can replace them with new, compensatory trees elsewhere in the park.

Because part of Farnham Park is an archaeological site, the works also need to be monitored by an archaeologist - and to minimise noise Thames Water has confirmed they will be using acoustic matting around the machinery.

Miss Potts added Thames Water is yet to set any timescales as to when the work will be completed, but she has vowed to keep residents updated.

“Thames Water have communicated with many of the affected local residents and I too have been in on-going dialogue with the chairman of the Park View Residents Association, John Hurst to ensure they are fully in the loop as far as possible,” she said.

A spokesman for Thames Water said: “Our essential work at Farnham Park to replace more than 140 metres of sewer pipe continues.

“We’ve now installed a temporary pipe to enable us to safely divert sewage while we carry out this repair, which means we no longer need to use our tankers.

“We continue to work closely with residents and have put measures in place to reduce disruption and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”