Months of frustration over noisy manhole cover come to an end

A RETIRED nurse is celebrating after 14-months of frustration over a noisy manhole cover outside her home was resolved after a phone call to the Echo.

Mary Walker, lives in a bungalow on the corner of Buttercup Lane and Anson Road in Shepshed and said she had given up hope of ever getting the issue sorted and then an article in the Echo made her try again.

In June, we ran a story about a Rothley couple who had been kept awake for three months by a broken manhole cover in the street outside their home in Rothley before the issue was resolved.

And that prompted Mary to contact the Echo to highlight the problem she had been having.

Mary said: “I sympathised with the couple putting up with the problem for three months and then thought crikey me and my neighbours have had our problem for 14 months. I have emailed the county council, contacted my local councillors and have done everything through the proper channels but have got nowhere.

“The problem with the manhole cover started in May 2018. With the increase in domestic and construction traffic via Buttercup Lane, as the only access point, the noise and disturbance intensified, but was never resolved.

“Domestic and construction traffic has increased as the new dwellings become occupied and the construction of new houses continues along with the steady flow of traffic and “thumping” over the manhole cover.

“I am a retired registered nurse who simply wants to enjoy the lovely garden I have created without the constant loud “thud” of heavy construction lorries and domestic vehicles as they drive over the offending manhole cover yards from my garden fence. I am not moaning about the traffic simply the loud noise they generate as they drive over the cover.”

The Echo made some enquiries and contacted William Davis Homes who are responsible for road maintenance and problem manhole covers on the unadopted road and they promised to look into the matter - within hours temporary repairs were made to the offending manhole cover and a few days later it was replaced and the problem resolved.

A spokeswoman for William Davis said it had no record of the initial complaint being passed onto the relevant department.

“We acted upon this as soon as we became aware of the situation.”

A delighted Mary said: “I’m so pleased and want to thank the Echo for their help and for William Davis for carrying out the work.

“It’s enabled me to enjoy some peace and for the first time I had my patio doors open to enjoy the summer weather.”