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Footway obstructed by overgrown hedge and tree

Reported via desktop in the Rights of way category anonymously at 06:44, Thu 30 November 2023

Sent to Hampshire County Council less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 5267277.

Photo of this report zoom
Photo of this report zoom

The images shows an overgrown hedge and a tree which together reduce the available width of the public footway.

The hedge is owned by a special needs school in Warfield Avenue, Waterlooville.

Tree roots have risen above the footway level and been "plastered over" making a tapering bump with a large root projection above the footway. Whoever is responsible should try pushing a heavy client in a wheelchair over that bump and see how they like it.

The tree girth is 57", is 10 feet from the centre of the made-up carriageway and has continued to grow in height and spread thus getting ever closer to the hedge and to the centre of the made-up carriageway: meaning the footway has been "squeezed".

The hedge overhangs the footway by 2 feet at shoulder level and it can be seen that it has started growing over the manhole cover.

The visible part of the footway is only 787mm wide, far less than the 1200mm recommended by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

The hedge should be cut back to the owner's side of the property boundary and maintained there with no overhang onto the public footway.

If when the hedge is cut back the available and uninterrupted footway width is less than the 1200mm recommended by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 the tree should be removed.

Neither the hedge nor the tree are serving any useful purpose. They are not absorbing carbon dioxide or producing oxygen. The tree is too close to the hedge and too close to the centre of the carriageway. The tree has caused damage to the footway.

It is foreseeable that the tree could be blown over during a storm and fall on a car near the gateway or onto the carriageway. Five people were killed in Europe recently when trees fell on them during Storm Ciarán. It has happened in Hampshire before and can happen again.

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Updates

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 10:18, Thu 28 December 2023

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 11:15, Thu 25 January 2024

  • Ignored by the council.

    Posted anonymously at 13:15, Thu 22 February 2024
    Still open, via questionnaire

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 13:47, Thu 21 March 2024

  • Ignored by the council.

    Posted anonymously at 03:46, Fri 19 April 2024
    Still open, via questionnaire

  • Ignored by the council which has no respect for the 1200mm rule.

    Posted anonymously at 13:50, Fri 17 May 2024
    Still open, via questionnaire

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 16:12, Fri 14 June 2024

  • Even worse now

    Posted anonymously at 17:06, Fri 12 July 2024
    Still open, via questionnaire

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 04:21, Sat 10 August 2024

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 04:54, Sat 7 September 2024

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 05:58, Sat 5 October 2024

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 10:26, Sat 2 November 2024

  • Still open, via questionnaire, 17:07, Sat 30 November 2024

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