BISHOP'S Waltham's Citizens Advice Bureau has re-opened after a dispute with a neighbour forced its closure.

The CAB branch was forced to close last month after the owner of the adjacent property, believed to be Cllr Colin Chamberlain's wife, cut the water supply.

The office is leased to the CAB by the parish and the stopcocks for both buildings are located next door, within the Chamberlains' property.

Parish chairman Judy Marsh told the Chronicle in January: “We thought it was not quite right that it was turned off. There's a written agreement.”

But Cllr Chamberlain said on Tuesday: “There's no written agreement. We have been trying to get something sorted for three months and nothing has been done. We have got to do work and we're not supposed to have the water on because of the insurance.

“The council have known about this for a long time but they have done nothing. They say they're going to do something but nothing has been done.”

Mr Chamberlain, himself a solicitor in the town, said he was taking legal advice, and Mrs Marsh had previously said the situation was being considered by the parish's solicitors.

On Wednesday (February 13), she said: “We're going to have a separate main going in now so hopefully we'll be slowly getting back to normal.”

Susan Lambert, chair of the trustee board of Winchester District CAB, said in a statement at the time: “This is a matter between our landlords Bishop's Waltham Parish Council and our neighbours. The CAB and its clients have unfortunately been caught in the middle of this situation.”

The bureau re-opened on January 30 following conversations between Mrs Chamberlain and the parish council.

Mrs Marsh said she did not know when the new water main would be fitted.