OVERGROWN vegetation is becoming a serious road hazard for drivers, according to a councillor who has slammed the lack of action as “a danger and a disgrace.”

Dave Harris, who is a Berechurch ward councillor as well as a county councillor for Abbey division, has said it should not be left to him and other volunteers to clear branches which are starting to obstruct key road signs.

The veteran councillor added he has even seen a disabled member of the public try and cut back the greenery in an attempt to make the signage more visible.

But road signs which warn users to slow down before roundabouts are still impossible for drivers to see, the councillor says.

He said: “All the signs are hidden by vegetation, and all highways do is say they will have to find out who the landlord is before it gets cut – that’s not safety conscious because that’ll take weeks to do.

“The council should be cutting around the signs and removing the vegetation to make it safe, and charge for it if that’s what they have to do.

Gazette: Dangerous – Dave Harris has said drivers unfamiliar with the road are more likely to cause an accident when the signs are obscuredDangerous – Dave Harris has said drivers unfamiliar with the road are more likely to cause an accident when the signs are obscured (Image: David Harris)

“It’s a danger and disgrace that we have road safety signs with speed restrictions and people can’t see them.

“If you don’t know the area, like delivery drivers for example, there are a lot of near misses.”

Mr Harris added Essex County Council, which is responsible for maintaining Colchester’s roads, has not responded to his complaint despite it having been sent to them nearly a month ago.

He added: "The council should be making sure that when the vegetation does grow, it gets cut back in plenty of time so it’s safe.

"My children and grandchildren travel along that road and it’s a danger to all of us."

Essex County Council has responded to the criticism, with a spokesman saying: "We carry out quarterly inspections on Berechurch Hall Road, Colchester, as well as ad hoc inspections on areas reported to us by the public.

"If we spot an issue, we will schedule a repair based on its priority.

"The best place to report overgrown vegetation is via the ‘tell us’ tool on our website: www.essexhighways.org/tell-us."