A DECISION on the future of Oki the lonely deer at the Ormonde Road allotments has not been reached.
At a meeting of Wokingham Town Council’s amenities committee last night (Tuesday) the majority of councillors voted against plans to erect a deer-proof fence around the site until after quotes for the work had been gathered.
Amenities officer Paul Smith brought the committee up to speed with the latest developments, which included a visit by Hillside Animal Sanctuary to try and trap the deer last week.
Advice given by the Norfolk-based charity included erecting a seven-feet high mesh fence to keep Oki, and any subsequent deer, out of the allotment.
But Councillor Chris Moore raised concerns over the cost of the fence, which was estimated to reach somewhere between £3,000 and £4,000.
Cllr Moore said: “This is only the second time in ten years that we have had a problem with deer on the allotments. I would rather this issue were put forward with all of the other issues we have to discuss and then we can decide where the money should go.”
But vice chairman of the committee, Councillor Nick Campbell-White warned that the council would be criticised if it failed to act.
He said: “The last time we had a deer on the allotment, I believe it was named Deidre, we did nothing and there was a lot of anger from the allotment tenants.
“I strongly feel that we must do something, especially as this deer has attracted so much attention in recent days.
“With all the developments going on around the town over the coming years, the deer’s natural habitat is being taken away so I am confident this will a more frequent occurrence.”
It was suggested that the money for the fence should come out of the council’s contingency fund.
Cllr Campbell-White praised Mr Smith’s handling of the current situation, pointing out that he had received a lot of ‘abusive’ emails and calls over the matter.
He said: “I think you will all join me in thanking Paul for his work on this issue over the last few months, and especially over the last 10 days.
“He has been at the forefront of the issue and has received a lot of abuse which he does not deserve.
“I would request that any concerns be addressed to the committee directly.”
Mr Smith said: “At the very least we are better equipped to deal with this in the future. We have been offered help by many different organisations, some of whom turned out to be less than helpful.
“But we now know that should the deer return in future we can contact Hillside, or St Tiggywinkles in Aylesbury, who have offered to help in catching the deer with nets.”
Oki, as the deer has been named online, has attracted worldwide attention after a petition to save her from being shot went viral.
Chairman of the committee, Councillor Mark Ashwell said in a statement last week that the council had no intention of shooting the deer.
Several quotes for the fence will now be gathered and presented at the next meeting of the amenities committee.
