Bradford & District | Archive | 2005 | April | 6
From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Wednesday 6th Apr 2005.
The residents are backed by Silsden Town Council and Keighley MP Ann Cryer, who is demanding "remedial" action straight away.
Pat Simpson, 54, who suffers from arthritis and often needs a stick to walk, has fallen twice, once injuring her knee.
The widow, of Spencer Avenue, said: "It is very dangerous. I have tripped and fallen twice and I no longer walk along here in the dark. If I do walk, I go in the road but that is just as bad.
Partially-sighted Wendy Edgar, of Hunters Meadow, said: "The place looks like it's been lifted by an earthquake.
"The pavement is sticking up all over and the kerb stones are crumbling."
And retired teacher, Beryl Simister, 69, of Hunters Meadow, which leads off Spencer Avenue, said she could not negotiate the pavement or road in her wheelchair alone and had to rely on being driven in her son's car.
Mrs Simister said she had approached Bradford Council five years ago with a request for help, but was told there was no money available.
"The situation is far worse now and it's going to get even more hazardous. I think the situation here is a special case," she said.
Mrs Cryer wants City Hall to start remedial work on the street "as a matter of urgency".
"I am very concerned that they have been allowed to get into such a state of disrepair. This is very dangerous and could cause serious injury," she said.
And Silsden Town Council chairman Councillor Alan Edwards said the situation was getting worse and believed City Hall should make it a special case for the road to be adopted.
He said: "This is not like many other unadopted streets. It is used as a route to other homes which have been built since those in Spencer Avenue."
City Hall Councillor Andrew Mallinson said there was no cash available to adopt streets. He said estimates to make up all such streets in Bradford came to about £60 million.
The only way to get roads adopted is under a new scheme where residents would have to pay for the initial repairs to the road with the Council taking responsibility afterwards.
A Bradford Council highways spokesman said a number of complaints had been received.
He said: "However, as these streets are unadopted they are legally the responsibility of the owners, even though they are public roads and so used by a number of vehicles, including refuse collection lorries."
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