Overgrown hedges make road in Sidemoor dangerous

Buy photos » Bromsgrove District Councillor Chris Bloore for Sidemoor, with the overgrown hedge on Crabtree Lane. s

A RESIDENT has hit out at Worcestershire County Council after two children were nearly knocked over on a Bromsgrove road because overgrown hedges meant they had to walk in the middle of the road.

The incident was witnessed by delivery driver Tim Taylor who had to slam on his brakes, narrowly missing the children at the top of Crabtree Lane in Sidemoor. He also said that his disabled mother, who also lives on Crabtree Lane, has been forced to drive her mobility scooter into the hedge on several occassions to avoid cars that had not bothered to stop for her.

Parents with pushchairs, going to and from Sidemoor First School, also have to use the lane, which Tim believes is an 'accident waiting to happen'.

He said: "Every day there is a near miss - the lane has been neglected for nearly 20 years and the road width has reduced from 12ft to eight.

"I don't want to come up there and pick up a little kid."

Tim said he had hit a brick wall with the county council because after repeated calls no-one had spoken to him about the issue.

"If I went up there and cut the hedge back with my chainsaw, I'd probably be done for vandalism," he added.

Bromsgrove District Councillor for Sidemoor Chris Bloore echoed Tim's calls.

He said he himself had been trying to contact the county council for two months over the issue.

And he said, on the one occasion workers were sent out, they were equipped with hand-cutters which was 'totally inappropriate'.

"The events recently show the danger residents are in because this problem has not been tackled.

"Residents have been fobbed off by the county council on numerous occasions and when works have been done on the site, they have been insufficient.

"The county council needs to act now before one of these near misses becomes a serious injury," he added.

Jon Fraser, customer and community manager for Worcestershire County Council said: "The most recent nspection of the site showed that the hedge did not pose any immediate danger to residents or cause any road safety issues."

He also said hedges were not allowed to be cut back between February and July due to bird nesting season.

"The county council takes the safety of residents very seriously and we will be reassessing the hedge within the next week to check if any immediate action is required," he added.

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