7 days ago
Residents anger over unkempt and unsafe paths in Orton
Residents in an area of the city said constant flytipping and unmaintained pathways are making life "difficult and depressing".Sue Arnold, who lives in Hinchcliffe in the Ortons area of Peterborough, described the neighbourhood as "neglected" and called for the city council to show "respect to residents"."Bushes are always overgrown along the pathways, uneven surfaces with ripped tarmac in places, and now even big potholes in the pavements. It is depressing to live in such an unkempt area," she said.A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: "Officers will be carrying out a site visit to Hinchcliffe shortly to assess the issues with a view to carrying out any necessary repairs."
The area around Hinchcliffe is a mix of private homes and social housing - some of which is run by management companies.
Fellow resident Raymond Price says he fears going out when it gets dark as he feels the pavements are said: "They are not cutting the brambles back so they catch you on your hands. It is not good."That pothole has been there months and nothing is being done about it."Everybody pays taxes and it should be done. The council is just not doing their jobs."It doesn't take a lot to cut these a couple of times a year. It is terrible."
On a walkabout around the neighbourhood with residents, we spotted several piles of flytipping including garden waste and rubble and abandoned supermarket trolleys - some even blocking very narrow pathways that lead to the Orton local post box was also inaccessible due to times, Ms Arnold had to use her crutches to push back some of the overgrown bushes to make way for her mobility scooter."I have to sometimes turn back and find another route," she Councillor for Orton Waterville, Nicola Day, recalled the area being "neat and clean" when she was growing up there in the 1980s - but said it was now a "hotspot for fly-tipping".She said: "Residents are living in unkempt and untidy areas."I hope to work with residents and council team to ensure Orton Waterville stays safe and tidy."
Ms Arnold said better deterrents were needed to curb the issue, including installing CCTV cameras."Something to be done and if we can't get it done, then somebody needs a big shake up," she said.A spokesperson for the city council said: "Whenever potholes are reported to us they are assessed by an inspector as soon as possible to ensure they meet criteria for repair work."The local authority has urged residents to report these issues via the Fix my Street app.
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