Park Road finally gets its much-needed fix

LAST week Durban North residents revelled in the news that the three holes along the concrete fence on Park Road have finally been repaired, as well as the broken gate leading to the sports grounds.

For months residents’ complaints yielded no response or action from the municipality, so much so that one resident, Arge Nienhuser, told the Northglen News in April that he had lost all hope of ever seeing any repairs or maintenance at the site.

Two of the massive holes were created when a rotting ring-barked tree from the Blackburn Road soccer field collapsed in September last year.

The giant tree smashed into the concrete fence and ripped through the electric cables, causing a streetlight pole to crash into the same concrete fence several metres down the road.

Since then residents have pointed out that the road has been left in a dilapidated state. Dumping had increased in the area (especially near the holes in the fence), grass and weeds on the verges had become alarmingly overgrown and foot traffic had also increased in the area, which residents feared would fuel the potential for criminal activities.

On Thursday, councillor Shaun Ryley said he was elated by the news. “It is a true testament to the perseverance of the residents who constantly took the matter up with the department, and I am sure that many residents are relieved by the progress. However, there is still a lot that needs to be done. The ring-barked trees urgently need to be removed, before another one crashes down onto the newly-repaired fence, only to bring us back to square one. The overgrown weeds and verges also need to be tended to,” he said.