A PEDESTRIAN who was hit by a cyclist while walking on the edge of an overgrown pavement is calling on the council to take action.
People living in Moresby are being forced to walk in the road due to swathes of grass up to three feet high along the main route out of the village.
Alan Lawson, a Moresby resident who walks around the village daily, has raised the issue with Cumberland Council, after he was clipped by a cyclist on the elbow while walking on the edge of the pavement.
But the frustrated resident said he is ‘getting nowhere’ and the council ‘just doesn’t want to know’.
Cumberland Council have now apologised for the delay in resolving the problem and say work will begin this week.
Mr Lawson said: “There’s a big problem with grass-cutting on Moresby. The footpath has become unwalkable.
“I’ve been on the phone [to Cumberland Council] for the last three months now. There are a lot of bushes growing out over the pavement.
“I’m just getting nowhere. It’s that bad now that people can’t get through with wheelchairs and pushchairs. Another week or a fortnight and nobody will be able to walk it. It’s that bad.
“I told them that I have been clipped by a bike. It doesn’t seem to make any difference.
“It’s the only footpath out the village and back in. We’ve got no other footpath. I’ve tried and pleaded with them. It’s getting into such a state that no one can walk on it.”
As a former Moresby Parish councillor, Mr Lawson used to cut the grass himself to ‘keep the village tidy’, despite it being Cumberland Council’s responsibility.
Mr Lawson added: “Everywhere you look, the grass is two or three foot high. The play field is about eight to ten inches high. It’s just ridiculous.
“The village is just a pigsty at the moment.”
Lesley Coward, a Moresby Parish councillor, said: “We are phoning up and asking about a job that’s been phoned in for weeks. Nobody has been near. We just don’t seem to be getting anywhere.
“You can’t see over the roundabout, you can’t see over the corners. You have to pull out into the road. Alan used to keep it spot on.
“We can’t get anything done. People are saying Moresby is the forgotten village.”
A spokesperson for Cumberland Council said: "We appreciate the resident bringing the condition of the footpath in Moresby to our attention and apologise for the delay in addressing it.
“We will be working on this area over the next week to ensure it is accessible for everyone."
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