Overgrown land road safety fear of residents
RESIDENTS living in the north east of Glasgow have said it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed as overgrown grounds have led to road safety fears.
Calls have been made for the council to adopt land in Robroyston to ensure areas near Briarcroft, Brookfield and Orchard Park are properly maintained.
Locals say it is not safe to cross the road in parts and areas were unsightly due to overgrown land and litter that has not been picked up. Concerns came to light at a Robroyston Community Council meeting.
Ian Aitken, the chairman of the group, said: “The grass on these patches of land has been left to overgrow to a point where it’s going to take more than a lawnmower and electric strimmer to cut down.
“These areas have been left to get in to real states and it’s time residents here banded together to get something done.”
One resident at the community council said: “The lack of maintenance is a disgrace.
“It’s got to a point where people are afraid to cross the roads because the overgrowth is obstructing the vision of drivers.
“This needs to be sorted out before someone is killed.”
Other residents at the meeting also said the overgrowth has led to rodents in the area.
Mr Aitken also added that there was concerns over potential investors being put off due the appearance of the area: “With a new train station and a new housing development coming to the area we are aware that the state of the place might turn away companies who want to invest in the area.
“All these problems come down to a lack of maintenance.”
The community council has also considered starting up factoring services ran by residents in the area.
However, having the council adopt the land has been deemed the best outcome with residents paying towards the maintenance through their council tax payments.
Mr Aitken also motioned for the residents to buy a lawnmower and safety equipment so they can attempt to tackle the problem themselves. The community council has since agreed to launch a petition to garner support from neighbours for the council to adopt the land in question.
Martin McElroy, a councillor for the area, said: “There needs to be a collective effort from residents to sort this issue out.
“If the land was to come under council ownership it would become the responsibility of the local authority, which is much easier to hold to account.”
A council spokeswoman said: “The areas that are being raised as a concern do not belong to the council and therefore have no responsibility for it. The council no longer has an adoption process for green space sites such as this.”