Eden is tops, but town is tatty (From Bucks Free Press)

Eden is tops, but town is tatty

7:23am Sunday 1st June 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

A FORMER Wycombe district councillor has criticised the state of footpaths and roadways around his home in Bowerdean.

Rafiq Raja, who has lived in Perth Road for more than 30 years, says his daily walk to and from High Wycombe train station has become treacherous because footpaths and roadways are poorly maintained.

He says the residential area around Perth Road, Adelaide Road, and Bowerdean Road, is a patchwork of repairs, potholes, loose stones and bumps caused by tree roots.

Mr Raja, a tax accountant, said: "In some places, the mortar holding the gravel together has been washed out over the years and now the little pebbles stick out and are uncomfortable to walk on in normal shoes.

"Where people have parked vehicles on the footpath, there is a lot of unsightly wear and tear. It looks as if the whole area has been operated on and the scars are still visible.

"I believe that it would be a real challenge for anyone to move around on our footpaths in a pushchair or a wheelchair.

"I genuinely cannot recall the last time our local roads or footpaths were resurfaced and it is about time the county paid attention to Bowerdean.

"The Eden shopping centre is likely to move High Wycombe into the top 30 or so shopping destinations in the country and yet the rest of the town looks tatty and unkempt in many areas."

The county council is beginning its We're Working On It' project on roadways next week.

Eric Meek, group manager for area maintenance, said Bowerdean was part of that plan, but he couldn't name which roads will be resurfaced.

He admitted: "The estate is getting towards the end of its original life now so we're starting to look around that area now. We would expect to get 20 to 25 years out of a footway. Unless there has been an exceptional amount of utilities work carried out, we shouldn't have to revisit it.

He added: "Because we've only got the budget, we've got to prioritise."

Mr Meek said the destruction of verges was a national problem for councils, caused by increased car ownership.

Living Streets, an organisation campaigning for better open spaces, has been employed by BCC and Wycombe District Council to look at improving High Wycombe.