Urmston: 'Major eyesore' area of grassland cut down

Janet Owen, 68, who lives on Stroma Gardens in Urmston, says a walkway in the area which features a patch of grassy land, had become unkempt.

Grass grew beyond the pavement, causing a problem for residents and motorists.

Janet had complained to the council and spoke to her local councillor, Cllr Jill Axford, about the matter.

The grass was overgrown and reached over the pathway in areas (Image: Janet Owen)

Janet contacted The Messenger on Monday, June 24 for help as she said she had "exhausted" every channel.

She is partially sighted and uses a cane in order to make her way around safely, which she says kept becoming "tangled" in the overgrowth and causing her a hazard. 

Janet and her husband pay a gardener to cut their own grass. And she says she had offered to ask her gardener to also maintain the other area of land, but would not have done so without written permission. 

The council said it does not own the land but it has been "adopted for maintenance" by the local authority.

Speaking before the grass was cut, she said: "In March and April, me and my husband went on a lovely long holiday over two months and it had just been done right before we left, but it hasn't been done since then.

The pathway had become narrow due to the overgrowth (Image: Janet Owen)

"We've been very patient, but it just can't continue like this- someone is going to have a bad accident."

She said there was no access for wheelchairs with the grass the state was in, and that most of the residents on the street are aged over 80 and was making it difficult for them to use the pathway.
Janet says the overgrowth looked 'tacky' (Image: Janet Owen)

The residents were also worried about the grass becoming an attraction for rats and other rodents.

Janet said: "I feel someone may have made a mistake and now it's not being done.

"I'm really not wanting to hang anybody out to dry or anything, we just need someone to get it done."

The council said it was unable to complete the maintenance work earlier due to the recent bad weather. 

A council spokesperson said: “Trafford Council does not own the land but it is adopted for maintenance by the council.

"We carried out the work following a number of complaints from residents.

"Due to the recent wet weather, we have been unable to cut this area as per our maintenance schedule. The work has now been completed.”

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