| The cover in question is situated in the narrow overgrown pathway running along the front of Mill O’ Mains Primary School between the Barns of Claverhouse Road and Hebrides Drive.
Claverhouse resident Lynn Robertson said, “The metal grill on the pathway had moved, opening up a drop which kids could fall into and hurt themselves.”
Lynn claimed the hole had been left open for at least two weeks making it a potential health hazard for the many children and their parents who use the busy path.
Local mum Vicky Smith also pointed to the potential pitfalls on the run-down path. She said, “I first complained about other holes in the path about a year-and-a-half ago but the problem is that it’s not entirely clear who’s responsible for its upkeep.”
While Dundee City Council owns the actual thoroughfare, the land to either side is the responsibility of private landlords and grass has been left to grow into the path while it remains unclear who should be cutting it.
The specifics of this particular case however are further confused by the fact the manhole is actually for the provision of cable television.
When Lynn first became aware of the hole she attempted to complain to the council but was advised otherwise by her neighbour.
“He said he had complained and the council said it’s not their responsibility,” she explained.
When the Tele alerted Dundee City Council to the faulty cover the response again was that it was not their responsibility.
However the paper was told soon after that the problem had been fixed following the Tele and North East councillor Andrew Dawson separately raising the issue.
A spokesperson for the council said, “The manhole cover belongs to a cable TV company. However, we went down and found the cover’s casing had been broken causing the cover to collapse.
“We weren’t able to fix the casing but we have filled the hole in with sand, replacing the cover and making it safe.”
Councillor Dawson also went to inspect the hole. He said, “There were children near it which was a worry. It’s the responsibility of the TV company but I’m very pleased it has now been made safe.”
The Tele contacted Virgin Media, the company that provides cable television in the area, but residents had not alerted them to that particular manhole problem.
A Virgin Media spokesperson said, “We were notified of a hazard in the area and work was completed by our contractors, not the council, on June 26. We have no further reports of problems since this date.” |
