Plea to tidy up Historic Harwich of overgrown weeds [Harwich & Manningtree Standard]

GRASS and weeds are being left to grow through roads and pavements causing a conservation area to look like a “complete mess”.

Church Street and West Street in Harwich, referred to as Historic Harwich to highlight its heritage, have weeds growing through the edges of the pavement and the cobble stone gutters.

Harwich deputy mayor Ivan Henderson has called for action, slamming the council for failing to keep the area today.

He said: “It looked dreadful at mayor making. We had a cruise ship in and they would have seen all this.

“It’s a conservation area for goodness sake.”

Mr Henderson said not only do the weeds look untidy for residents, but it gives a bad impression to tourists.

He added: “We are trying to do things for the next year for the Mayflower 400 celebrations and no-one seems to be getting a grip.

“We had a meeting of councillors the other day and everyone was bringing up how fed up they are of seeing weeds and grass growing out of the footpaths.

“I looked in West Street and it’s even worse.

Pictured: Cllr. Ivan Henderson and Cllr. Geoff Smith, Church Street, Harwich – Photo Copyright © Maria Fowler 2019

“We pay our council tax to keep our streets clean and tidy and it’s not happening.

“They need to put the resources in place to tidy up our streets.”

Mr Henderson also complained about a council flat in Church Street left with a boarded up window for at least a month.

It comes after his concerns the road is sinking and being left with a crumbling road surface and large potholes, which he first raised in 2017.

Essex County Council is now set to close the road from June 10 for nine days to carry out patching work. A surface treatment is set to be done at a later date.

Church Street, in Harwich, is one of the town’s oldest streets and is home to the Grade I listed Guildhall and Forester’s, a building dating back to 1450.

A Tendring Council spokesman said: “These areas are maintained by Tendring Council on behalf of Essex County Council. Weed spraying is undertaken in this area twice annually, the first of which is due to take place early June 2019.”
Source https://www.harwichandmanningtreestandard.co.uk/news/17689204.plea-to-tidy-up-historic-harwich-of-overgrown-weeds/