To: Mervyn Reese, Bristol Mayor
Pavements for pedestrians
Bristol's pavements are a disgrace. Many are narrowed by overgrown hedges making it very difficult for parents to walk their kids to school. On refuse collection days the situation is made much worse. In 'student areas' bins are left on the pavement, many are not emptied as they are not shut properly, or the recycled boxes are left as the contents have not been separated. The BIG TIDY operation dealt with graffiti but totally ignored the overgrown hedges and the bins.
The enforcement processes are not actioned effectively. Local councilors are powerless or disinterested. The only actions that have been by offending householders has been the reduction in the height of one hedge, it still blocks halve of the path, and a minor trim, that has not reduced the overhang but simply exposed a harder and more jagged face to the hedge.
Why is this important?
Parents walking kids to junior school are often having to wheel a buggy with a younger child on board and keep control of school aged kids. The narrowed pavements slow the process down and in wet weather leads to everyone getting wet from contact with the overgrown bushes, largely privet.
