Angry councillors demand action from council over overgrown Doncaster footpath

Angry councillors have called on City of Doncaster Council to take action over a footpath which has become badly overgrown with towering weeds.
By Darren Burke
Published 11th May 2023, 09:23 BST
Updated 11th May 2023, 09:23 BST
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Councillors in Sprotbrough want to see the path restored to its former glory – and have written to council chief executive Damien Allen calling on him to get the issue resolved.

Conservative ward councillors Glenn Bluff and Cynthia Ransome say that residents in the area – between Riverside Drive and Park Drive are “extremely distressed” by the state of the overgrown woodland and say they are “anxious” to improve the area.

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In a letter, the pair said: “While we appreciate the hard work that council officers do, we feel compelled to write to you in order to express our serious concerns and lodge a formal complaint regarding the treatment that we, along with other residents of Sprotbrough, have received.

The area has become overgrown with weeds - and councillors are demanding action.The area has become overgrown with weeds - and councillors are demanding action.
The area has become overgrown with weeds - and councillors are demanding action.

"The voices of the Sprotbrough ward councillors and those of our residents are being ignored.

“Over the past six years, we have been working on a project to cut, clear, create paths, install fencing, new entrances, plant wild flowers, provide seating and establish a robust maintenance programme for the land near Riverside Drive and to the rear of Park Drive.”

Latest photos of the area show how the area has become a mass of weeds compared to a satellite image from several years ago.

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"Our aim is to improve the area as it has fallen into a terrible state and ensure that the area is properly maintained for future use.

“Despite several Neighbourhood Teams taking on this project, the constant staff turnover, Covid-19 and flooding have caused repeated delays, and only in January 2021 was the project restarted.

“The residents of Sprotbrough are extremely distressed by the state of the area. We are anxious to improve the area, particularly since we have the funds available, but they are not being utilised.”

“We hope that you take this matter seriously and that immediate action is taken to rectify this issue.

"As Sprotbrough ward councillors, we will be monitoring the situation closely and will not hesitate to pursue further action if necessary.”

Related topics:CouncillorsDoncasterCovid-19