Sunken garden

Sharon Curley in the back garden of her mother's house, part which has vanished in a land slide.

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A PENSIONER is living in fear after a land slip carried part of her garden away on Boxing Day last year.

Joan Curley (70), of Harewood Drive in Royton saw Christmas festivities shaken as part of her back garden slid away towards the River Irk at the bottom of a slope behind her garden.

Joan, as well as other residents in the area, is now fearful of venturing into the garden in case another slippage occurs and with the land behind her garden being un-adopted, no one has taken responsibility to help her plight.

Joan's son, Steve Curley said: "The fence has slid to the river and the property is being damaged by this.

"My mum won't even go into the garden now, she's scared to even take the bins out and she hasn't been been into her own garden since boxing day.

"My mother and father, who died ten years ago, moved into this house in 1984, back then the embankment was much wider, people would ride bikes on it or even used to ride horses on it and now there is nothing there."

Steve said that frustration has grown as around 20 years ago Oldham Council erected a fence around the un-adopted land warning people off fly tipping on the area, however residents feel this has made fly tipping easier and meant the land has gone forgotten and through a lack of maintenance the land slip problem has occurred.

Concerns about the safety of the area have continued to mount and Steve will be completing a petition this week asking the council to act which he will hand in after this week's elections.

Steve said: "Wouldn't getting in there early and addressing the problem be cheaper then letting it get worse and then having to act?

"How can you hang a load of pensioners out to dry?

"All we get is it is nothing to do with us because it is not our land.

"Our argument is not solely based on finding a solution to my mothers current issue with her garden it is to do with the unsafe nature of the banking area affecting all residents.

"It is wildly overgrown with rubbish dumped and trees that have grown so high they are a risk to life and property.

"This unadopted land is a risk to lives and properties of tax paying residents who have the right to expect to live in peace and safety without fear of venturing to the rear of their property."

Oldham Council maintained that because the land is currently un-adopted they are not able to take responsibility for the land slip.