Overgrown tree keeps pensioner in the dark
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by Nick Lillitos
A pensioner with impaired eyesight says she is living in
near darkness because her housing association refuses to trim back
a tree.
Dorothy Harris, who lives on the Maples estate in Minster,
claims she has to put her living room lights on in the morning,
along with a reading lamp, because the tree is blocking light
coming through her window.
The 74-year-old claims all her pleas to housing association
AmicusHorizon, to either cut the tree down or trim it back, are
falling on deaf ears.
Speaking from her upstairs one-bedroom flat, the former care
home worker said: “It’s only morning and here I am having to move
about with the living room lights and table lamps on.
“The association had a tree surgeon trim the branches a couple
of years ago and then the light coming through was lovely.
“Since then the branches have bounced back putting me back in
darkness as it adds to my impaired eyesight problem.
“I attend Maidstone Hospital to receive very expensive
injections into my right eye, just to try to stabilise what
eyesight I have left.
“When I look at anything I have this black blob suspended in
front of my eye.
“With restricted light coming through my window its negating all
the good work the hospital is doing.
“When visitors come they take one look at the problem and say I
wouldn’t want that tree there.”
Mrs Harris commented: “I’ve been constantly in touch with the
association but they really don’t care.”
AmicusHorizon regional asset director, Victoria Benson, said in
a statement: “Every year [we] carry out a health and safety
inspection to assess the condition of the trees that are situated
on our land.
“If a resident has any concerns about a tree that is near to
their home, then they can report their query to our asset
management team.
“They will assess the situation and advise appropriate action,
according to each individual case.
“We will not cut down a tree if it is deemed to be healthy.”
She would not comment on the possibility of trimming the
branches and not cutting it down as it had happened previously.
Wednesday, July 07 2010
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