HUNDREDS of residents have called for improvements to the ‘horrendous’ pavements in Malvern Link after campaigners claimed dozens had been hospitalised due to trips and falls.
One person out of more than 600 to sign a petition which was sent to Parliament on Monday (November 11), said his close friend died of a stroke within days of suffering a broken wrist from tripping.
Marjorie Smith, 82, first started lobbying for action from Worcestershire County Council last year after she was hospitalised herself with a strained ankle after tripping in the Link.
The Elgar Lodge resident took six weeks to recover and soon discovered dozens had suffered similar incidents and decided it was time action was taken.
After months of campaigning to little avail, Marjorie and fellow resident Mavis Berridge, 81, launched a petition earlier this month.
Within days hundreds of people had signed and now the full petition containing 627 names has been handed to West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin.
Marjorie told the Observer: “The pavements are in a horrendous state, there are cracked uneven slabs, sunken tarmac and every repair is a nightmare.
“By the Co-op is a disaster waiting to happen.
“Malvern Link is terrific with some beautiful little shops, and the worse thing you could do is to let them go because people don’t want to shop there anymore.”
Katherine Maxted, manager of Elgar Lodge, said she had suffered two falls herself on the sidewalks and seen ‘horrendous’ sites including an elderly lady with her face covered in blood after one particularly nasty incident.
She added: “One resident is scared to use his scooter in case he topples into the road. There are three retirement homes full of older citizens and everyone uses the Link but the pavements are just so treacherous.
“It comes to something when you can’t look at the views of the Malvern Hills because you have to put your head down.”
Harriett Baldwin MP, said she had spoken to residents in person about the problem and had written to the highways authority Worcestershire County Council along with Coun Paul Tuthill to investigate the matter.
“With the new investment going in to the Malvern Link train station, the Post Office, the Fire Station and the Churchill Retirement flats, it would be nice to have pavements to match.
“As winter advances, I think it is important that our pavements are safe for everyone and I will look for the county council to report back with an action plan as quickly as possible.”
A county council spokeswoman said Malvern Link High Street was not part of the current maintenance programme but the authority was aware of the problem and was looking at ways to fund improvements. She added the pavements would be inspected monthly in the meantime.
