Unkempt areas make life depressing, say residents

15 August 2025

Shariqua AhmedBBC News, Peterborough

News image — The postbox in Hinchcliffe was inaccessible due to garden waste being flytipped around it, one resident said

Shariqua Ahmed/BBC Sue Arnold wearing a white T-shirt and blue shorts- sitting on her red mobility scooter- next to the garden waste on the floor- in front of the red post-box — The postbox in Hinchcliffe was inaccessible due to garden waste being flytipped around it, one resident said

Residents in a city district said constant flytipping and unmaintained pathways were making life "difficult and depressing".

Sue Arnold, who lives in Hinchcliffe in the Ortons area of Peterborough, described the neighbourhood as "neglected" and called for the city council to show "respect to residents".

"Bushes are always overgrown along the pathways, uneven surfaces with ripped tarmac in places, and now even big potholes in the pavements. It is depressing to live in such an unkempt area," she said.

A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: "Officers will be carrying out a site visit to Hinchcliffe shortly to assess the issues with a view to carrying out any necessary repairs."

The area around Hinchcliffe is a mix of private homes and social housing - some of which is run by management companies.

Shariqua Ahmed/BBC Raymond wearing a checked shirt and brown shirts- sitting on his red mobility scooter — Raymond Price said nothing was being done to clean the area

Fellow resident Raymond Price says he fears going out when it gets dark as he feels the pavements are unsafe.

He said: "They are not cutting the brambles back so they catch you on your hands. It is not good.

"That pothole has been there months and nothing is being done about it.

"Everybody pays taxes and it should be done. The council is just not doing their jobs.

"It doesn't take a lot to cut these branches...maybe a couple of times a year. It is terrible."

Shariqua Ahmed/BBC A trolley abandoned with rubbish in it- placed by the gates of a walkway — Hinchcliffe in Orton Goldhay has been called a "flytipping hotspot" by local councillor Nicola Day

On a walkabout around the neighbourhood with residents, we spotted several piles of flytipping including garden waste and rubble and abandoned supermarket trolleys - some even blocking very narrow pathways that lead to the Orton Centre.

The local post box was also inaccessible due to fly-tipping.

At times, Ms Arnold had to use her crutches to push back some of the overgrown bushes to make way for her mobility scooter.

"I have to sometimes turn back and find another route," she said.

Green Councillor for Orton Waterville, Nicola Day, recalled the area being "neat and clean" when she was growing up there in the 1980s - but said it was now a "hotspot for fly-tipping".

She said: "Residents are living in unkempt and untidy areas.

"I hope to work with residents and council team to ensure Orton Waterville stays safe and tidy."

Shariqua Ahmed/BBC Pothole in the pavement with two mobility scooters in front it — Residents said some of the potholes on the pavements have been reported to the council since May but they haven't been repaired yet

Ms Arnold said better deterrents were needed to curb the issue, including installing CCTV cameras.

"Something to be done and if we can't get it done, then somebody needs a big shake up," she said.

A spokesperson for the city council said: "Whenever potholes are reported to us they are assessed by an inspector as soon as possible to ensure they meet criteria for repair work."

The local authority has urged residents to report these issues via the Fix my Street app.