The town centre end of the Ock valley walk looked very different at the weekend. Willow trees had been cut severely and the sheltered housing on the other side is no longer screened by trees.
The contractors not only slashed the trees but also churned up the ground into a horrible mess.
Getting it ready for more Houses then
Cannot understand (a) why SO many trees have been felled and (b) WHY they had to do this at such a wet time. Even my dog is hacked off with the damned awful mess. I trust Ringrose (the contractors I think) will have to do some remedial work?
Who were the contractors? The Russian Army practising another invasion of Poland? Who appointed them? The same person who appointed the numpties who paved the High Street? What’s wrong with this town? We only need to fire a few placemen and things would improve really quickly.
What seems such a shame is that there are various local volunteer groups who have done good work in places like this: while I can understand that it may be necessary to use specialist (!) contractors for major tree work, surely some degree of consultation/co-operation with those who really (and actively) care for our local environment might have brought a better result. I had thought we were making progress towards letting the community work WITH the authorities – maybe I was over-optimistic.
I suspect this ammount of work has been required to return the Ock valley WALK to a usable condition by removing substantial vegetation from the canopy to let sunlight in. The path had become quite muddy in places and made walking difficult through wide patches of mud. This has been made worse by cyclists riding through the mud creating mini Sommes. I assume that as it is called a walk cyclists shouldn’t be using it anyway but it would be dangerous to point this out I guess.
It’s disingenuous to blame cyclists, but I guess some will recruit anything to their agenda. The truth is that some nincompoops, who shouldn’t be allowed to used heavy machinery, have no judgement, nor feeling for the environment, but were allowed to run havoc down a much loved pathway in Abingdon. Hopefully, it’s the last contract the council will give them …but then our council have form …
Newcomer, if believing that on a footpath/walk I should be able to walk without being forced off the path by an inconsiderate cyclist who has NO business there in the first place then perhaps my ‘agenda’ as you put it is merely nothing more than expecting people to behave with a little respect for others.
If the path hadn’t been so muddy/churned then maybe the use of heavy machinery could have been avoided. I walk regularly on this walk and do know how bad it became.
At least we know who cycles on this path. Do you also cycle on the Thames path? Large stretches of this FOOTPATH have also been ‘churned’ by cyclists. Take a walk on the path from the abbey mill stream bridge and see how far you get.
Peter, such anger must be sending your blood pressure through the roof. I’d suggest you take up some Eastern contemplative pass-time like yoga, or cycling, which is a low impact activity for old-folk. It would give you a more benign outlook on life. Just let the stress leak out.
..no doubt the ash trees will go next.
Congratulations to the blog for giving this an airing and debate however heated!
Probably money to be made from selling the logs
and the chippings. I wonder if this is the same bunch of contractors that cut down apparently healthy trees on Wilsham road a month or so back.
Far too many of these contractors driving about chopping
trees and bushes with no indication on the vehicles
as to whom they are under contract to.
Which council has responsibility for Ock Valley – Is it Town District or County ?
Peter, sorry for giving you a wet knicker moment. I know it must be difficult to control your blind rage when faced with logic,but I’m sure you’ve been there before … you come across a a man who’s got form and a tad emotional. Get a grip..
There is no reason why cyclists can’t use the track, it’s not a footpath….. Intact it’s hardly a path, it’s a mud track through woods, and as for attacking people who cycle down the Thames, talk about trying to lead comments towards your own agenda, maybe you should move out of town instead of just being on the edge if it gets you so worked up. Lol
“… people who cycle down the Thames”
This is a previously unrecorded local activity that I must see !
Not sure about bikes on the Thanes but what do people think of the idea of bringing some punts back to this part of the Thames ? There are pictures of punts operating here in the post war period in some of the local history books so presumably depths are appropriate
Iain – great idea! Should we set up in business??
I’m tempted – used to be admiral of the punts at my old college 🙂 happy days!
Perhaps Peter you’d have preferred the contractors to tarmac the path to avoid those highly dangerous “quite muddy” bits ??? leaves in trees !!!! rrun for your lives !!!! (obviously not cycle though….) …another utter numpty who cannot cope with a bit of natural vegetation outdoors or what ?!?…. I suggest you toddle off back to your lair “on the edge of town” Peter and indulge your paranoia by perhaps shouting at some cyclists there.
Why the abusive tone of some of the contributions?
If I were a slow-moving pedestrian and unsteady on my legs, I might well find some muddy bits needed careful negotiation. I have myself cycled down the path on a couple of occasions. Doing so when the ground is wet disturbs the surface more than walking does – it’s simply a case of lbs per square inch.
The more powerful your means of transport, the greater your duty of care to others. Is that so great a difficulty?