A disabled army veteran has slammed the state of a path by his home and fears he will have to move out of his area because of it.
Dave Marshall, 50, lives in a narrow boat on New Islington Marina. Previously, he told the Manchester Evening News that a footpath, which runs from the marina to Old Mill Street, is the ‘bane of his life’.
At the time, Plumlife — the company which owns and manages the area around the marina — said it was working with the ‘marina operator’ to fix the path, which is uneven so it ices over and floods during winter weather. However, Mr Marshall says work has not been done to remedy the issue.
READ MORE: Restaurant responds after couple's claim they were surrounded by waiters who 'wanted to fight them'
“There’s been nothing done,” he said. “Today, it’s frozen and there’s no salt on it. The stuff they put down last time was building quality sand. It’s not footpath material.
“The whole path floods. For all the money we pay, we should have had it sorted.”
Now, Dave’s health means that he is facing the prospect of being forced out of his home if the path remains in the state it’s in. He went on: “I have got a stress fracture on my tibia. I have got a new knee replacement within 8-10 weeks. On February 1, I’m going to hospital and they'll give me the date [of the operation].
“I cannot live here with the path like that. I will be in a wheelchair for 6-12 months after the op, and then I cannot use the path.”
Dave currently gets to his car via the path, and it’s also his easiest route from home to other amenities, like shops, a GP surgery, and a pharmacy. The situation, Dave says, is ‘affecting his mental health’.
He added: “I have emailed them. They do not care. They’ve fobbed me off and fobbed me off. I am going to explode.
“I’m an army veteran who cannot live in his own home because of this waterlogged and frozen path. It’s worrying me, it’s affecting my mental health.”
In response to his concerns, Caroline Millington, director of private sector management at Plumlife, said the company has ‘been working hard’ to fix the path up. She said: “We have been working hard to find the best long-term solution to the issues on the path. We have quotes to renew the path and the ground-level lighting and recently completed works to fill a sink hole that appeared.
“We are hamstrung by planning restrictions as the site is designated as an eco-park, so tarmac is not an option, but we are hoping to be able to find a suitable solution and begin work as soon as possible.”
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- M62 and M60 traffic updates as Manchester gets snow with weather alerts issued
- Restaurant responds after couple's claim they were surrounded by waiters who 'wanted to fight them'
- The beautiful woodland in Greater Manchester perfect for a winter walk
- Student, 20, accused of attacking nurse, paramedic and police officer walks free from court 'because her drink was spiked'
- Trio fatally stabbed man with mental health issues who was out to 'clear his head', murder trial told
