Does your property have “pavement appeal”?
The I Love Kensington Association (Ilka) appeals to Kensington residents to be pro-active in looking after pavements and verges.
The Ilka team wants to initiate a campaign which will see Kensington residents cleaning up and beautifying the suburb themselves, leading by example, instead of complaining about what is not being done for them.
“Take a walk or drive around Kensington and you are likely to see two extremes when it comes to the state of pavements and verges outside our homes. Many homeowners are clearly proud of their homes and extend this to the street outside their properties by planting pavement gardens or keeping a neat lawn, or even a swept, paved or tarred entrance.
“Unfortunately, some of these homes are surrounded by others where the pavement is overgrown with weeds, long grass or broken tar and paving. Some residents have the attitude of ‘I pay rates – it is the council’s responsibility to maintain our pavements and verges. Why should I do it?’ However, it is becoming more and more apparent that budget and manpower constraints are preventing this service from taking place in a satisfactory manner,” said Ms Sue Muller, who deals with the communications for Ilka.
She said it is in residents’ interests to maintain the outside of their homes as well as the inside. “There is no doubt that ‘pavement appeal’ adds value to your property. Ask any estate agent. This is a suburb where residents still walk and cycle in the streets. Let us make the experience even more pleasant by having well-maintained and attractive properties to enjoy along the way. We will all benefit,” said Ms Muller.
