A woman has vowed to start strimming overgrown grass in the island opposite her home, claiming Hertfordshire County Council has failed to ensure it is maintained.
Following an investment of £8,250,000 by the council, Highwood Primary School, which once stood in Bushey Mill Lane, was demolished and rebuilt by contractors in a neighbouring field.
Much to the dismay of residents in Mead Way, the entrance to the school was relocated to their road, sparking concerns for increases in traffic, and concern that their new view would consist of large bins and a huge water tank.
School neighbours said they compromised on the fact their properties would no longer be overlooking open fields and were assured traffic would not be an issue.
But resident Alison Castellow claims the grassy island which stands between her home and the new school has been destroyed during the build, and cars are being parked haphazardly in the road.
She further claims that Hertfordshire County Council has failed to ensure building contractors restore the green to its former glory.
The 48-year-old mother said: “It’s been left in a complete and utter mess; it’s a tip, it was never like this before.
"The overgrown grass is encouraging people to throw their rubbish on the green too.
"Apparently quality top soil was put down on the green, so that the grass would grow. I looked at that soil, it wasn’t top soil.
"It had a sandy texture and was full of rocks. Now what we’ve got are ridiculously high weeds and they’re just getting higher. It’s unsightly.
"Motorists are still driving over it and nothing has been put in place to stop them from doing so.
"We’ve asked for bollards, but no-one is answering us. We’ve asked drivers to be more courteous, to not drive over the green, to not park there, but they just won’t listen.
"I’ve gone to the council time and time again asking for answers as to why the green has not been fixed by contractors, why preventative measures have not been put in place and I get nowhere, just a string of broken promises or vague answers.
"The school opened in July and we were originally told the green would be corrected by the time it opened. So what's happened?
"I’m at the end of my tether with this. The council needs to get its house in order, give us a straight answer, are you going to ensure the green is fixed or not? Are you going to address the parking issues?
"If I have to start strimming the green myself I will - I refuse to overlook this mess any longer."
Hertfordshire County Council claims the green was reinstated earlier this year, but due to cars and other vehicles parking or driving on the grass, it had been damaged.
David Henning, council representative, said: "As a gesture of goodwill, our contractor will visit the site again in the coming weeks to repair the green, weather permitting.
"We would like to encourage residents, parents at Highwood Primary School and other motorists to refrain from using the green as a parking area to allow the grass to mature and avoid the need for future work."
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