Resubmission – footway still obstructed; previous closure inaccurate; linked to open formal complaint

Location: Knole Lane, Brentry – public footway adjacent to overgrown hedge shown in photographs Issue type: Overgrown vegetation obstructing public footway (unresolved) Description: This is a resubmission of FixMyStreet report reference 8696073, which has been marked “closed” despite the footway remaining obstructed. The hedge continues to encroach significantly into the public footway. There has been no effective cutting back to the highway boundary, and the pedestrian route remains narrowed. The on-site condition therefore directly contradicts the “resolved” status applied to the previous report. This is not a new issue. The same location has been reported repeatedly in 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2026, and remains unresolved despite prior assurances from Bristol City Council (including a written response dated 19 November 2024 stating that overgrowth had been cut back and that the road is inspected on a routine programme). The current condition demonstrates either: That remedial action was not carried out, or That any action taken was partial, cosmetic, or short-lived, and therefore ineffective In either case, closure of the previous report was administratively inaccurate. Alignment with formal complaint: This resubmission forms part of an open formal complaint concerning environmental maintenance, inspection reliability, and premature closure of reports affecting pedestrian routes in Brentry and Southmead. This FixMyStreet report is being logged as supporting evidence within that complaint. It is therefore essential that any further response reflects the actual condition of the footway on site, rather than the completion of a task that has not resolved the obstruction. Risk and public impact: The narrowed footpath continues to pose a foreseeable risk, particularly for: Wheelchair users People with mobility or visual impairments Parents with pushchairs Pedestrians forced closer to live traffic This remains an accessibility failure, not a minor aesthetic issue. Statutory and policy context: Highways Act 1980, s.130 – duty to assert and protect the public’s right to safe and unobstructed use of the highway Highways Act 1980, s.154 – powers and duties to require vegetation to be cut back where it obstructs or endangers highway users, regardless of land ownership Equality Act 2010, ss.20 & 29 – duty to avoid placing disabled people at a substantial disadvantage in access to public spaces Well-managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice – inspection and maintenance regimes must be effective in outcome, not merely recorded What is required: Immediate cutting back of the hedge to the full highway boundary along the affected section of Knole Lane Clear confirmation of responsibility (Highways / Parks / private land with Section 154 enforcement) Explanation of why the previous report was closed despite the obstruction remaining Assurance that this location is managed as an ongoing maintenance issue, not subject to repeated partial trims and premature closure Summary: The footway remains obstructed. The previous closure was incorrect. This resubmission is aligned to an open formal complaint and must be addressed on the basis of the actual condition on site, not administrative process.