A CONCERNED daughter has called for action to make a key link route accessible to all.

Jo Wheatley, from Wivenhoe, regularly walks from Dovercourt train station along Low Road, in Dovercourt, to visit her 91-year-old father.

She said her elderly father uses a mobility scooter, but his safety is being compromised by vegetation overhanging on the pavement.

Ms Wheatley said she was also not able to maintain a safe social distance from others while walking on the pavement because of the overgrowing greenery.

She said: “It is simply impossible in places to pass because the pavement width is significantly reduced by years of vegetative debris built up on the surface and inadequate cutting back of adjacent and overhanging vegetation.

“Clearly, if this happened on the carriageway itself, it would get dealt with in a timely manner to keep traffic moving safely.”

Ms Wheatley, who works for a charity, also argued even though Low Road is part of the cycling route, not many people cycle along the road due to speeding cars.

“Only confident and touring cyclists use the route,” she said. “I rarely see people cycling along the road.

“Unless Essex County Council starts to appropriately fund infrastructure for walking and cycling and implement changes, they will fail to support social distancing, meet carbon reduction targets, deliver public health improvement targets, address congestion and other targets stated in their organisational strategy.”

Ms Wheatley has also called for 30mph speed limits on roads to be reduced to 20mph.

An Essex County Council spokesman said the authority was sorry for the problems with navigating the pavements at points along Low Road but said work was in hand.

He added: “This been reported by our inspector and is on our list for work to be done by the Rangers service.

“Low Road is a 30mph route throughout, apparent to drivers because there is street lighting there, and our speed surveys by the Tendring Local Highway Panel have not found a particular issue with speeding.

“However, please keep in touch with your local Essex county councillor to monitor the issue.”