“They just don’t listen” - Denton resident rooted in battle with council over pavement problem

Ged Redman of Windsor Road Denton has spoken out against the council amidst new works going on in front of his house, which has caused further damage to a large tree.

Ged Redman has been a resident on Windsor Road for many years, and the tree outside of the house has now long been a problem for Ged. Ged talked us through the issue and told us why it is causing problems for him and his family. “Me and the wife are both partly disabled, and one of my concerns is that people doing works on the road are able to come along and dig it up without any warning to the homeowners. They could at least do a leaflet drop before the works begin!”

The couple are partially disabled, but this has made no difference as ongoing works in front of their house makes their lives harder. Ged commented on this, saying “We asked to have a floor panel put down in front of the house and they said they would, but in the end they didn’t. With the construction work as well I had to park the car about 6 houses away when we did the shopping.”

The road has been a long ongoing battle for Ged and his wife for over a year now, with the pavement having been at the constant disposal of multiple different companies. Ged told us about how it started, saying “About 18 months ago the people from Virgin had put wires down into our neighbours property.” Ged claims that the laying of these wires saw the roots of the tree outside of his house “cut through.”

“Now more work is going on to add tubing to the site for the wires to run through.” Ged says.

The tree that has been damaged outside of the house as a consequence of the works stands as high as the two storey homes it lies in front of and it could now pose a risk for Ged and his wife.

 Getting the council to realise the risk the tree poses has been another task for Ged, and he recalls what the council told him saying: “At some point, I want somebody from the council to take responsibility and come down before someone gets injured or there is a problem. They just don’t listen! In high winds the tree could cause serious accidents, and God forbid it is any of my family. They have already admitted they should not have had these trees planted in the first place.”

Ged has been in contact primarily with MP Andrew Gwynne, who declined to comment on the situation. However, a spokesperson for Tameside council brought more light to the issue, saying: "The tree roots were cut during work by a contractor for a utilities company two years ago. The Council agreed to monitor the tree for any stability problems with no issues raised. We were made aware last week that the same trench had been re-opened for further utilities work and visited to inspect the tree. While there are no evident safety issues, we are programming crown reduction works to the tree to reduce its overall weight and therefore increase stability. We have been in contact with the resident to update them.”

Ged makes a good case for the tree becoming an issue, and it is visible from the wall, pathway and flags leading to his door that the roots have caused structural damage to the exterior of his home. With extreme weather conditions becoming more normal for the borough, it could make the tree a bigger risk to his family. However, the council have outlined that they are aware of the issue and have since contacted Ged to update him.