RESIDENTS have thanked a councillor for finally putting an end to four years of living with overgrown trees and hedges in their street.
When Coun Melanie Baker was canvassing ahead of the district council by-election in the Chase ward, people living in Teme Avenue told her of the trouble they were having getting someone to take responsibility for maintaining the bushes – some of which had grown to more than 25ft.
Graham Evans, who lives on the road, said work had been carried out on the hedges opposite his house which left a mess after one of the bushes was ripped out.
He added overhanging branches from trees on the verge were brushing large vehicles going past and nettles had spilled out on to the path leading to the nearby common which was well used by children and dog walkers.
Following Coun Baker’s election to the Chase seat in May she lobbied the town, district and county councils to see which had responsibility for maintaining the hedges.
In October, work was carried out to tidy up the entire area including cutting back and shaping the bushes, and now an arrangement as been made for the town council to maintain the hedges in the future.
Mr Evans said: “We’ve been here for four years and the bushes have just grown and grown and haven’t been touched.
“Melanie Baker came out canvassing and the rest is history. She did an awful lot of lobbying and its all down to her that its been tidied up.
“Nobody did anything until Melanie came along and got some action taken.”
