A 79-year-old Birchwood pensioner has hit out at what she describes as the declining state of her local area, claiming residents are being left to cope with increasingly overgrown paths, weeds and what she believes are potential safety hazards.
Barbara Gabbott attempted to contact Warrington Borough Council after becoming increasingly concerned about the condition of a footpath running from Cadshaw Close towards the bus stop on Glover Road.
The route is also used by children and families travelling towards a nearby primary school.
Barbara has now asked Warrington Worldwide to publish photographs of the area, saying she wants residents and councillors to see for themselves what she describes as the deterioration of parts of Birchwood.
She said:“This path is a route to the bus stop on Glover Road and to the local primary school. Does anyone think this is safe
She says the problem becomes even more concerning after dark because trees obscure the lighting along the pathway.
And, according to Barbara, the grass alongside the path has not been cut once this year.
With winter approaching, Barbara fears the condition of the pathway could become even more problematic.
She says the surface becomes slippery in wet and frosty weather and describes it as a potential “slip and trip hazard all year round.”
For an older resident, she says, the condition of paths is not simply an issue of appearance.
It can determine whether people feel confident enough to walk to their local shops, catch a bus or simply get out and about in their own community.
Barbara is particularly concerned about what she sees as a wider decline across Birchwood.
She added:”It is an example of the sorry state the whole of the Birchwood area is being allowed to decline into.”
Her frustration is intensified by the council’s financial position and the continuing programme of cuts and savings facing Warrington.
Barbara says residents are already paying more while seeing services decline.
In her email to the council she referred directly to the authority’s recent budget statements, saying: “I noted in your recent budget statement that residents would hardly notice the cuts.”
But she added:“We have been living with the decline for years and are paying MORE for the privilege, so we will all notice.”
Her message was not confined to the condition of one footpath.
She also raised concerns about weeds growing in gutters, warning that they could eventually contribute to blocked drains and increased flooding.
“Are you really planning well?” she asked.
‘Do councillors walk around their own patch?’
Barbara also had a blunt message for elected councillors.
She asked the council to show the photographs to all members, adding: “I don’t suppose many of them have the time to WALK around their own patch let alone other areas.”
She believes a walk around the community would give councillors a very different perspective on the impact of cuts and maintenance decisions.
Her concerns come as Warrington Borough Council faces one of the most challenging financial periods in its history, with the authority having to identify significant savings while maintaining essential services.
But for Barbara, the issue is much more straightforward. She wants to know why a pathway used by residents, including children travelling to school and people walking to catch a bus, has been allowed to reach the condition shown in her photographs.
The photographs raise a simple question for Warrington Borough Council: Is this an acceptable standard for a footpath used by residents and children – and, if not, when will something be done about it?
Warrington Worldwide has contacted Warrington Borough Council for a response to Barbara’s concerns and will publish its response when received.
For Barbara, however, this is about more than grass cutting. It is about whether older residents can continue to feel safe, valued and able to move around their own neighbourhood.
And her message is clear: “We will all notice.”
