Riverside railings refreshed (7.11.11)

Railings along the Thames between Boulters Lock and Derek Road in Maidenhead have been painted to look as good as new courtesy of the borough's latest Community Payback* project.

A group of 10 supervised offenders spent 518 hours - and 11 sessions - sanding the railings, undercoating and adding gloss to restore them to their former glory as part of the Community Payback partnership between the Royal Borough and Thames Valley Probation.

This latest Community Payback project was instigated by members of Riverside and Belmont Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG), to restore the length of protective railings along the towpath.

Cllr Phill Bicknell, cabinet member with responsibility for community safety, said: "Projects such as this serve to illustrate the significant practical contribution Community Payback can make.

"The offenders put in more than 500 hours and have done a very professional job, vastly improving the railings and making it far more pleasing for residents and visitors walking along this popular stretch of the river.

"Community Payback is not a soft option as this latest project demonstrates - it is hard graft and is a highly-visible way in which residents can see offenders paying back to the community."

Simon Bond, chairman of Riverside and Belmont NAG, said: "The work done so far is a great improvement and we are grateful to those who have put in the hours. It is important they know the community appreciates what they have done and that they have been able to give something back. I also think it good that alternatives such as Community Payback are available as part of an evidence-based justice system."

*Under the Community Payback scheme unpaid work is a sentence available to courts. It is intended as a punishment and also as a means by which offenders can make amends to the community for the harm they have caused.

The sentence is set by the court at anything between 40 and 300 hours depending on the seriousness of the crime and the offender's record. In the Thames Valley offenders must work at least seven hours - or one full day - per week, either as part of a group or on a single placement. Community Payback offenders are at work in the Thames Valley seven days a week.