Broken wooden barriers left unrepaired for nearly a year have been described as an eyesore by a local councillor campaigning to get them fixed.
The decrepit posts on Maytree Crescent were reported to Hertfordshire County Council in February last year but Councillor Asif Khan said neither the county council, Watford Borough Council nor Watford Community Housing Trust would take responsibility for the repair.
He said: “It is completely out of order that Watford council, Hertfordshire County Council and Watford Community Housing Trust don’t work together to get these fixed. They just look at each other shirking their responsibility – it is utterly unacceptable.
“There’s no joined up working between them. There needs to be a way to work out problems like this – it is common sense. At the moment we have to bang our hands on the desk to get things done.
“Despite continuously asking for them to be repaired, they have not been. When they are broken, they become unsightly and don’t act as barriers. They just look a state.”
Many of the green spaces in Cllr Khan’s Leggatts ward are surrounded wooden fencing, which deteriorate and break over time.
He has reported many broken fences over the years, and said some had been repaired while others had not.
Kevin Carrol, divisional manager of Ringway which carries out work on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council, said: “We can confirm the broken wooden barriers were reported to us in February 2016 and we are sorry to learn the councillor did not receive accurate information regarding this.
“We follow the county council’s guidelines and focus repair works on the most dangerous defects first.
“These broken barriers do not pose any danger to road users or pedestrians, therefore the repair works will take place once funding has been agreed with the county council.”
Cllr Peter Taylor said: "We are often contacted about issues on land that is not managed by Watford Borough Council. In the case of Maytree Crescent, the landowner is Hertfordshire County Council.
"It is important that when ward councillors are trying to help their residents they take up matters with the appropriate organisation or council.
"It is surprising that 11 months after Cllr Khan raised this problem with Hertfordshire County Council, he should try to blame Watford Council for their lack of action."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel