Road block anger

NOT happy . . . Kathy Hanley outside her home

STRANDED householders were left puzzled when road surfacing work stopped them accessing their homes and drives.

Shaw Road residents said they came back from work to find the pavement all dug up with a plastic barrier surrounding the front of their properties.

Kathy Hanley (51), an executive assistant for a Manchester-based company, said she received a letter from Greenbooth Construction saying road surfacing work was due to last for 12 weeks.

She called the company before she went to work and was reassured she would be able to access her drive that evening.

On her return at 6pm, Kathy found her drive fenced off and pavement slabs removed.

She said: “My reaction was one of complete horror.

“Parking round here is limited at the best of times so it took me 20 minutes to find a space.

“When I approached my house, the plastic fencing was locked together and I couldn’t find my way in.

“I had to prise it apart to get to my door. You would have thought they would have put boards down but there was just soil.”

Ms Hanley said most of her neighbours are retired and some have mobility issues.

She said there has been no thought into how the work would affect residents with the company leaving itself open to compensation claims by not providing safe access to their homes.

She said: “It’s poorly thought out, it’s disgusting.

“Greenbooth should have contacted the residents to explain.

“It doesn’t take two minutes to put a letter through the door and say your drive will be out of action.”

When asked by the Oldham Chronicle for a comment, managing director Christopher John Taylor said he was not prepared to have a conversation with the newspaper —because he said that should be with the residents.