Concerns have been raised about the lack of weed control on Ruddington’s roads, pavements and pathways. As spring turns into summer it certainly does seem as if the problem is worse than usual this year.
Resident Carla O’Brien told RUDDINGTON.info: “I am really fed up with the weeds around the village – it looks totally unkempt! Some bits of the High Street have been cleared but other areas are frankly embarrassing. Opposite the church, the corner of Easthorpe Street, bits of the High Street, by the post box outside the Coop, etc. It seems no one knows who is responsible?”
Jane Glover is also concerned. She says: “The area on St John’s Road is awful. It doesn’t seem that anyone is responsible for this small plot of land but it’s completely over run with weeds and nettles.” Rebecca Pavier adds: “Camelot Street, Brookside Road & Woodhouse Gardens are all full of weeds.”
So we asked Ruddington Parish Council who should be dealing with this? They explained that the weed spraying is carried out by Nottinghamshire County Council – and directed us to this excerpt from their website:-
“We are responsible for ensuring that verges along the roads we maintain meet road safety standards. We carry out weed control twice a year, during the summer. By law, the weed-killer we use is no stronger than that which you can buy off the shelf at your local DIY store.
“For weed-killer to work effectively it has to be applied when there is a period of three consecutive dry days. Otherwise there is a risk of it being washed away by rain. This means that extended periods of wet weather can affect our weed spraying schedule.”
Unfortunately all this comes too late for the thousands of visitors to Ruddington who flocked to “RuddFest” at the weekend and had to pick their way along our weedy pavements and pathways! It seems to be a particular problem where surfaces are breaking up and in need of repair. But, until the next spraying, it looks as though we will have to put up with the unwanted invaders sprouting randomly throughout our village.
Of course, many of the traders do take matters into their own hands. Dutton’s Hill based barber Adrian Lane says “I have to spray and weed the embankment outside Aidys Barbershop every year! Just done it last week – and sweep the pavement, otherwise it’s an embarrassment.”
Nottinghamshire County Council also points out that “Most trees and hedges by the road are not owned by us, but by private landowners. It is the landowners who are responsible for maintaining them. However, we can make sure work is carried out if they present a danger to road users. The owner of the tree or hedge would normally have to pay for the necessary work.”
If you know of any serious problems in Ruddington you can report them online to the County Council >>HERE<< or by calling 0300 500 80 80.
We also welcome your comments >>HERE<< or by posting your thoughts on the Ruddington Village Facebook page.
