THE cost of repairing and renewing drainage infrastructure at Swindon Borough Council's Waterside Park will be almost £1m more than first predicted.

On Wednesday, the cabinet is expected to approve a request for a further £900,000 in funding, on top of £1m already provided for the same work last year.

Waterside Park in Cheney Manor is home to the council's household recycling centre and all the associated processing facilities.

A report due to go before the cabinet reveals that the extent of the improvement works and poor condition of the drainage system is far worse than originally thought.

The work needs to be carried out urgently to ensure that the council continues to operate within the Environment Agency licence and Thames Water Discharge license.

A spokesman for Swindon Borough Council said: "The existing drainage system at Waterside needs to be reconstructed as it is coming to the end of its life, while a new foul drainage system also needs to be built. This work is necessary so we continue to ensure that no waste water enters the water course from the waste processed at the site."

As a result of the additional work now required, an extra £900,000 of capital investment will need to be found.

The £1m approved last year came from council borrowing.

£306,000 of the additional £900,000 now needed will be met using money received through the Community Infrastructure Levy - a planning charge imposed for large scale developments.

An additional £203,000 will come from section 106 contributions which is money paid by developers to support local infrastructure.

The balance, amounting to £391,000, would need to be met from more borrowing.