Aldwick residents' group goes on big verge tidy-up

The group of homeowners banded together to ensure the rutted surfaces have been smoothed over for the surface. Members from the Aldwick Tree Group set to work with spades, rakes, a roller and grass seed to tackle a particularly uneven area of Fernhurst Gardens.

They had a lot of enthusiasm, rather than a plan of action, and accomplished their task within 45 minutes.

Alex Alexander, whose house adjoins the verge, was astonished by the outcome.

"Best of all," he said, "I've taken the overgrowth from my other verge to fill in the hollows and now the whole place looks as if it's had a makeover."

The residents decided to take action after the wet early spring turned roadside verges into mud.

Vehicles which had gone across them had carved deep ruts in the surfaces. The unsightly dips were set to harden as the ground dried out. Waiting patiently for the county council to do the work was likely to take too long. Justin Dell, the group's liasion officer with the county council, said: "I don't think we have the manpower to do any more, especially as some of the worst ruts are there because the kerbstones are inadequate. That's a job for highways."