We recently received the following message from a local resident regarding the condition of the concrete paths that traverse Thorley Wedge. For those unfamiliar with the area, it’s the green swathe of land that extends from Thorley Hill through to Friedberg Avenue on Thorley Park. It’s a very popular recreation area for the local community and provides safe off road walking and cycling links.
“When if ever will all the concrete footpaths in Thorley Wedge be repaired properly? Over at least 200 joints to these concrete slabs are now uneven, broken or cracked up. As one of many mobility scooter riders, I travel these paths everyday on my scooter. Every joint in these concrete slab paths, plus broken concrete sections cause a big & painful bump up or down as I travel along. In my case this impacts on my already painful neck & back daily. Other mobility scooter riders I have spoken to agree that it is time that you no longer ignored our needs. Also ignored is the sideways gradient across paths at 2 corners near gas works. See diagram 1 & 2.
1) has been patched but sideways gradient on turning corner not good.
2) concrete slab has sunk partially into mud & joint uneven when turning corner. Cracked, broken slabs & uneven manhole covers need urgent repair. Danger to all. Pedestrians can trip, scooterists have to be very wary of uneven surfaces & gradients.”
We raised the matter with East Herts District Council who manage the site and who recently issued a ‘Thorley Wedge & Northern Parkland GREENSPACE ACTION PLAN 2024 – 2029’ in which it acknowledges that “the surfaced footpaths around the site are uneven in places and need maintenance.” However, the response to our initial enquiry suggested that the paths were actually the responsibility of the County Council, a view that we contested, as it was contrary to the information on the County Council’s on-line ‘Gazetteer’ of adopted roads and paths. On further review it was established that the paths are indeed the responsibility of the District Council. They now plan to undertake a series of inspections in order to identify and programme any required repairs. Any immediate risks will be dealt with but other repairs will need to be prioritised against other ongoing projects.
https://cdn-eastherts.onwebcurl.com/…/2024-05/Compressed Thorley Wedge and Northern Parkland GAP 2024 – 2029.pdf
We’ll keep you updated of developments.
