A RAMSHACKLE wall could have killed someone when it finally collapsed, say angry Grovehill protestors, even though Dacorum Borough Council was warned of the danger almost a year ago.
The 6ft wall, which separated Livingstone Walk from Bracknell Place in Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead, had been in a state of disrepair for some time before it collapsed onto a pedestrian walkway when a streetsweeper hit it on Friday.
Paul Carter, who lives nearby, said he repeatedly told the borough about the problem.
He said: “I told the council about the wall in August last year. About a month later they removed some bricks off the wall, but left them on the floor.
“I chased them six or seven times over the last year, and now it’s collapsed. It could have killed someone.”
The failure to act also highlighted other problems that have been left neglected, residents said, for up to a decade.
People living in and around Livingstone Walk, including those with small children or a disability, say the council is not doing anything to put right the uneven paving slabs, dilapidated walls and piles of loose bricks surrounding their homes.
Mother-of-two Emma Sadler complained: “It’s a nightmare. The amount of times my 12-year-old son, Cameron, has fallen over and hurt himself is terrible. The council don’t do anything, they are absolutely rubbish.”
Dacorum Borough Council’s group manager for property and place Fiona Williamson said that a repairs contractor had been instructed to sort out the problem when it was first raised.
She added: “The council and the repairs contractor are investigating why there was a delay in carrying out the repairs.
“Changes have been made to the process to ensure such issues are addressed within 24 hours.”