Pensioner says somebody will be hurt unless crooked pavement is mended (From Worcester News)

Pensioner says somebody will be hurt unless crooked pavement is mended

5:00pm Friday 19th October 2012 in News By Sarah Davies

SLABS: Tony Walker is worried about the uneven pavement in front of his house.

A CROOKED footpath is causing concern for a Malvern pensioner who fears someone will get hurt if it is not fixed soon.

Tony Walker reported the state of the pavement in Duke of Edinburgh Way to council bosses in April, but repairs are yet to get under way because of a legal wrangle.

Large gaps have appeared between the paving stones where the slabs have begun to slip down a grassy bank.

But work to rectify the problem has been delayed because of a row between Worcestershire County Council and housing association Festival over who is responsible for the land.

Mr Walker, aged 83, said: “My wife caught her heel in one of the gaps and just managed to save herself from falling by holding on to the gatepost, but injured her shoulder. I’ve caught my stick in them before now. I’ve lived here since 1954 and the pavement has been like this for three or four years now. You’ve got young children on little scooters and people with prams who could trip. A number of residents are in their late 70s and early 80s, so the state of the slabs make it a health and safety issue.”

The dispute is understood to arise from the mid-1990s, when the social housing was passed from council control to housing associations.

Festival Housing still runs some of the properties in Duke of Edinburgh Way, but there is debate over who is responsible for the maintenance of the footpath that passes outside the front of homes in the street.

Jon Fraser, Worcestershire County Council’s highways manager, said: “The county council has recently received information from Festival Housing which we are currently reviewing. “Appropriate action will be taken in due course and we are unable to make any further comment at this stage.”

Festival Housing declined to comment.