'Uneven paving caused my son, 3, to fall off his bike while learning to ride,' says Northampton dad as he complains to council
A Northampton father has complained to the council as he says “uneven paving caused his son, aged three, to fall off his bike and cut his chin while learning to ride with stabilisers”.
Glenn Butcher, who lives in Winchester Close, Delapre, complained to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) about the state of the paths in the area.
Some of the paving slabs are an inch higher than others, some have been replaced with tarmac, and tree roots have grown through the ground to make it “very uneven”.
Glenn, who is the father of a three, nine and 16-year-old, claims that learning to ride a bike on the paths is “impossible” and he is concerned about the route as it is close to Abbey Primary School.
When Glenn first complained to WNC with photos, he was told it did not meet the requirements for repair under the council’s Highways Inspection Manual.
Just days later, as he was not satisfied with the response, Glenn says he submitted the same set of photos – and worded his complaint more professionally, stating he was going to take action by contacting the local media and independent councillor Julie Davenport.
The father-of-three, who had used the WNC app to get in touch on both occasions, says he was then contacted to say the street met the requirements for something to be done.
He said: “The paths are a complete mess and really need replacing. Some streets nearby have been newly tarmacked and look great. We really need this same standard for our street.”
Glenn explained he had the same issues when his nine-year-old was younger and, despite making the same complaints at that time some years ago, nothing was done.
“We deserve better than this,” he told the Chronicle & Echo. “It’s dangerous. My youngest son fell off his bike another couple of times and I now take him somewhere safe. I had to find a street capable of taking a bike. You’d have no chance on a skateboard.”
Glenn was asked how he felt when he uploaded the same photos for a second time, as well as mentioning the local media and independent councillor, and WNC agreed to rectify the issue.
He said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked. I’m just a local resident and didn’t want to have to put it in a formal way or start threatening to do things. I shouldn’t have to do that to get action. I was disappointed.”
Though Glenn has not received any council correspondence to confirm when or how they are going to rectify the issue, he has noticed some orange spray paint on the ground – which he does not believe was there previously.
West Northamptonshire Council was approached for comment by the Chronicle & Echo. As well as being asked to respond to the situation, they were asked when the work will be completed and what will be done.
They were also asked why the issue was closed the first time, in line with their Highways Inspection Manual, but is now being investigated the second time when the resident threatened action.
Councillor Phil Larratt, cabinet member for highways and transport, issued this response: “I was sorry to learn about this incident and I know that we have assessed the pavements in that area and will take appropriate action where required, particularly where safety might be an issue.
“Our highways contractor is making good progress toward remedying many of the issues on our roads and pavements, but we know there is always more that needs to be done.
“We’re investing an extra £10m into our repairs programme this year, which will certainly help accelerate progress, and it’s important that people continue to report issues to us so that we can make sure priority areas are addressed.”