An Armagh woman suffered a nasty ankle injury after slipping in an alleyway she described as a “death trap” earlier this month.
The thoroughfare in the Callanbridge Park area of the city has become a severe health hazard, with moss, weeds and mud beginning to clog up the entry. The pile-up of rubbish hasn’t helped either.
The woman – who did not wish to be named – was left in a heap under the weight of a full bin when she finally succumbed to the slippy moss, which she says was “an accident waiting to happen for a while”.
The injury was compounded by the fact she had two children in the house at the time.
“Local committee members are always asking for it be cleaned and it has been done once in the six-and-a-half years I have lived there,” the woman told Armagh I.
“I was taking my bins out from my back garden round to the front on Wednesday night when I slipped on the thick overgrown moss; my leg went backwards and the bin fell on my ankle.
“It’s absolutely disgusting but luckily I was able to get the bin off my leg as I have two children at home.
“We try to keep it clean as much as we can but most of the time we don’t know whose responsibility it is as there’s a gate in place.”
She has lodged a complaint.
The resident claimed that her landlord had even sent the Housing Executive photos of the issue months ago but nothing was done about it.
She added: “They were told it was an accident waiting to happen. I’m just glad it was me and not a child.”
While the resident claimed the Housing Executive (HSENI) had sent someone out to clean the alleyway, HSENI confirmed to Armagh I that it was not their responsibility and to contact the Council.
Armagh I contacted the Council who informed us it was the responsibility of the Department for Infrastructure.
A spokesperson for the Department told Armagh I: “The Department currently inspects the alleyway at Callanbridge Park on a regular basis and will repair any defects that meet our maintenance standards.
“Unfortunately, due to the historic underinvestment in road maintenance and the current significant budgetary constraints we are only able to repair the highest priority defects that present the most significant road safety concerns.
“This means that we are unable to undertake lower priority or discretionary work such as clearing moss or mud. We have not received any recent queries or complaints in relation to this alleyway, but we remain willing to work collaboratively with others, such as the council who are responsible for the removal of rubbish, to do what we can to address this issue.”
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