Two of West Berkshire’s biggest ticket capital spend items for next year are on the gypsy caravan site linked to the death of PC Andrew Harper, and the fenced off Faraday Road football pitch.

A number of members of the public, including PC Harper’s mother, objected to the Ufton Nervet Four Houses Corner refurbishment, which is set to cost a total of £4 million once complete.

But plans for the project have been approved despite local objections and one from Thames Valley Police, as West Berkshire Council is legally obliged to provide gypsy traveller sites.

Costs for the project are split across the next two years, totalling £2,112,175 each year.

READ MORE: Multi-million pound upgrade for Traveller site approved despite backlash 

And public opinion appears demonstrably more frustrated with the lack of action at the Newbury Town FC ground.

The council is facing repeated questions about its budget spend, with increasing pressure to show progress on its manifesto promise to get football back to the ground in Faraday Road.

It faced questions from the public at the council's executive committee wanting to know why £115k had been spent on fencing off the pitch.

The council responded by saying the fencing was there to protect the public.

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The council has stalled any progress on bringing community football back to the site, with more public questions lobbed at it demanding to know why the pitch can’t even be booked.

Approved budget papers state £859k has been allocated for provision to support the delivery of the playing pitch strategy through provision of additional facilities – but does not outline what those are.

The council says it is awaiting a district-wide report on the playing pitches in West Berkshire so it can decide what to do but has allocated £2,325,000 in next year’s budget  – again for provision to support the playing pitch strategy.

But it is unable to confirm if it has actually appointed any consultants, and at what cost, to undertake the review of playing pitches in the district.

A neighbour called Alan Pearce has asked the council how much of its £3.18m expenditure for 2024/25 will go to the Faraday Road football ground project.

There is no presence on the council website to book to use the pitch, or any phone number.

The council announced the pitch was reopened to the public last November and had installed temporary changing facilities.

The council and the executive member for leisure councillor Janine Lewis Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst & Purley) were both contacted for comment and asked to clarify the position regarding both progress on the anticipated playing pitch strategy, and whether the Faraday Road pitch will likely see football back on it by the new season.

Other big ticket items in the council's capital budget include the upgrade of Theale station at £3,469,560, and £16m over the next three years for green energy projects.