Some readers will recognise Rocky in his bright red dog stroller. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Rocky damaged his spinal cord which initially left him paralysed in his hind legs. Instead of keeping him cooped up at home and caged whilst nature did its job I chose to buy the stroller to enable me to take him out on his usual daily ‘walks’ so that he could see his friends and improve his quality of life.
The reason for me writing this article is that Rocky’s misfortune and unusual mode of transport has confirmed my long held view that something needs to be done about the dreadful state of the pavements in the village and the amount of obstacles preventing a safe passage from one end of the village to the other.
Whilst parking remains high on the agenda, pavements seem to be forgotten, yet we have a large number of pedestrians in Ruddington. Sadly it is a fact of our time that wheelchair users and children’s pushchairs raise barely an eyebrow as they are so commonplace, but the sight of a little dog struggling to remain still whilst his stroller is manoeuvred to avoid the uneven surfaces, the holes and cracks, the advertising boards, the cyclists and the illegally parked cars and vans blocking the pavements is another matter.
If this is something which affects you and you want your voice heard please let me know by e-mailing cllr.marion.pell@ruddingtonparishcouncil.gov.uk or you can leave a message at the Parish Council office (see back page). Together with the Parish Council’s support we can put pressure on Nottinghamshire County Council to address the issue and take action to make Ruddington a safer place for everyone.
By Councillor Marion Pell