OVERGROWN bushes, which haven’t been cut properly in two years, are making social distancing impossible and putting residents at risk, it has been claimed.
The plants are now overhanging a busy footpath, which runs behind Thomas Lord Audley School and Monkwick Avenue in Colchester, meaning residents cannot walk side-by-side.
Residents say the footpath hasn’t been cut back in about two years, with the unruly plants now taking up the majority of the footpath in some places.
The route is popular with cyclists and walkers travelling across Berechurch as well as with many children and parents on their way to the nearby schools.
Dave Harris, a Labour councillor for the Berechurch ward, who is also Essex County Council member for the area, is demanding urgent action.
He said: “It is terrible.
“Residents tell me it hasn’t been maintained properly in two years.
“It is affecting a lot of people in my area.
“It is used by all the schoolchildren and the mums going from the nearby estates to the schools.
“There is no chance of social distancing down there and you can’t walk down there side-by-side.
“I have complained about it many times, but nothing has been done.”
Mr Harris said in places four or five foot of the pathway is blocked by overgrown vegetation.
The existing footpath in some spots is a third as wide as it should be due to the out-of-control growth of the surrounding bushes.
He added: “Lampposts along the route that were once on the edge of the footpath are now several feet into the undergrowth.”
Essex County Council said the vegetation impacting on the footpath was owned by the nearby landowners, the Ministry of Defence.
A spokesman said the authority would be following it up with the MoD to request the plants are cut back.
He said: “Thank you to councillor Harris for bringing this to our attention.
“After looking into the situation, we have established that the vegetation is coming from private land, meaning that it is the responsibility of the landowner to cut it back.
“We have brought this to the attention of the Ministry of Defence as the landowners with the intention of resolving the situation.”
The MoD’s training centres at Middlewick Ranges and Friday Woods are located near to the footpath.
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