DEVELOPER ANSWERS OAPS PLEA FOR A SAFE PATHWAY (From Warrington Guardian)

DEVELOPER ANSWERS OAPS PLEA FOR A SAFE PATHWAY

Trapped

DELIGHTED pensioners who claim huge construction lorries have made them virtual prisoners in their own homes are celebrating an offer of help.

The OAPs live in a group of bungalows on land off West Road in Congleton being developed into a major housing estate.

The road to their homes is being used by construction traffic, which the pensioners say has caused congestion and left the road deep in mud.

One of the pensioners tied plastic bags to her feet to enable her to walk along the road, while another is too afraid to attempt the walk for fear of falling.

Councillor Judith Thwaite took up the plight of the pensioners with Bryant Homes, which is developing the site, after being contacted by the daughter of one of the residents.

She has won a promise of a path from the bungalows linking to the Clayton bypass, and thanked Bryant Homes for the offer of a practical solution.

Bryant sales manager Steve Barton said he hoped the path would be laid this week, although he stressed it would only be temporary until a new access to the housing development was created off the West Road roundabout.

''The residents are absolutely thrilled they are going to get this path,'' said Mrs Thwaite.

''The daughter of one of the residents got in touch with me because she was having to wait 20 minutes to get her car down the road to see her mother because of the lorries.

"The road has been churned up, and the problems have become worse in the last 2 months because of bad weather.

"The pensioners have been effectively trapped in their homes, as it impossible for them to walk down a road which is like going through a field."

One of the residents, Barbara Thorley, aged 82, said despite the offer of a path she wanted to move because of the problems.

"I used to be able to walk down the road, but now have to rely on my daughter coming to fetch me in her car because she is frightened to death I would fall," she said.

"I had enjoyed every minute of living down here until this happened, which has made me very depressed."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.