Carpenders Park footpath left blocked for three months

A short footpath between By the Wood and The Watergate in Carpenders Park has been blocked since a garden fence blew onto it during Storm Eunice on February 19.

Hertfordshire County Council has been advising pedestrians to use the nearby pavement into The Watergate but that pavement has been damaged by a tree root growing under it.

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Declan Garvin, who lives in The Watergate, said: “My wife was out walking the dog at night, the streetlights were turned off and she wasn’t familiar with that pavement.

“It is a trip hazard. She didn’t see that there was a tree branch growing through the pavement. That pavement is not usually used but because the footpath is blocked it is used a lot more regularly.

“The council said it is not bad enough to repair, but I have seen pavements much less deformed that have been fixed. They are usually pretty quick. It seems in this little pocket they don’t care.”

The fence had been blown over in the February storm, pulling down a short wall with it which now blocks the path.

Barriers were put up but the debris is yet to be cleared three months on.

People living in the area have raised the issue with both the county and district council. A council spokesperson said they are looking into the situation.

Cllr Reena Ranger, who represents Rickmansworth East and Oxhey Park, said: “Hertfordshire County Council have been monitoring the situation and working with the resident to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

"A short alternative route is available around the obstruction and has been assessed as being suitable.

"I am also in touch with residents who have raised this with me.”

Storm Eunice set a new record for the fastest wind recorded in England at 122 miles per hour on February 18. Public transport was cancelled, and many fences and trees were blown over during the storm.