A SNIP IN TIME

With the nesting season well underway I am very glad to see that the owners of the roadside hedges between the War Memorial and the School have, at last, trimmed back the overgrowth.

It must be said however their they were only stung into activity by a boot up the behind from the Parish Council!

I am astonished that they took such persuasion to carry out this work, and my concern in this instance is less for the welfare of our wildlife than it is for the school children and other hapless pedestrians for whom this is the only route to the Doctor’s Surgery, Brockton and beyond.

The pavement is narrow enough without having to fend off the trails of Bramble and other unfriendly foliage which proliferates along the way.

Add to that the fact that a good deal of soil and rubble has encroached on to the pavement making it even narrower.

Anyone pushing a baby buggy, or someone like myself who uses a Mobility Scooter is obliged to walk or ride on the road, and with the recent dramatic increase in traffic this can be unnerving and is certainly dangerous.

It is deplorable that our Shropshire Council refuse to address the state of the roads and the pavement, just as it is irresponsible of the Police to refuse to enforce speeding regulations through Worthen and other villages in the area.

However, the shortcomings of our Shropshire Council and the Police Force is no excuse for allowing a dangerous neglect of our pavements. In short, if they won’t do the job then we must.

To this end, Members of the Parish Council will be donning their wellies on April 7^th in order to clear the debris from this vital walkway and will, unfortunately, be obliged to trim back the few remaining areas of overgrowth in the interest of Public Safety.

Those who have neglected their boundary hedges and allowed this state of affairs to occur should be deeply ashamed of themselves. There have been several near misses along this stretch of pavement in the last few months, I wonder how these householders would feel if their negligence caused the death of a child?

They would certainly have many questions from the Authorities and the rest of the village to answer!

Once again I must remind everyone that the correct time to carry out work of this kind is between August and the end of February. This is the Law and it applies to everyone, EVERYONE, no exceptions!