Fenced in!

IGNORED . . . members of the Derker Forum feel their protests and not being heard

Residents ‘trapped’ in a jungle of fencing
HOUSEHOLDERS in Derker say they feel like they are in prison — because building work has closed access routes to their homes.

Work started in January on 165 homes in the London Road area. Angry Sarah Proctor (46), who has lived in Crabtree Road for more than 20 years, said: “They’ve shut off all access around us and it’s really difficult to walk or drive anywhere.”

Residents see more problems ahead when the cul-de-sac is linked with other areas of the development.

Mrs Proctor’s house will be on the corner of a new road joining London Road to Crabtree Road.

She added: “We never even had a note through the door about what they were planning.

“It’s the lack of consideration that bothers me the most. We just want a bit of respect and answers to why everything is being blocked off at once.”

Another Crabtree Road resident, Simon Smith (43), said: “It’s a mess. Footpaths have been closed and everyone has to walk the long way around the estate to get anywhere.”

He added that where footpaths had been closed there were no signs to direct people where to walk and some were forced to walk in the road.”

Plans for the redevelopment stalled in March 2011 but the work, on a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes, started up again last September.

Jackie Stanton, a former councillor for the area and member of the Derker Forum, added that while most people in Derker are happy about the redevelopment, they feel let down by the lack of information offered by the company.

“We raised objections about certain parts of the development but it was no use. You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, so the disruption can be overlooked. But we’re not being kept informed.”