Blind man insulted as council don't clear overgrown paths

Stephen Temple, 54, from Overton, suddenly lost his sight while working as a network planner in December 2021, and has had to use a white cane to navigate his daily life ever since.

As part of his daily routine, Stephen walks from his home in Foxdown, along Kingsclere Road and into the main part of the village on a route that instructors have advised him to follow.

However, overgrown shrubbery and cracked pavement make walking with his cane a difficult task for Stephen, who often finds himself getting caught in thorns, and even tripping on uneven ground.

READ MORE: 'Frustrated' blind man asks council to clear footpaths AGAIN

Stephen has reported the issues multiple times (Image: Newsquest)

The Gazette visited Stephen on Monday, September 30, and witnessed the issues he faces daily first-hand - at one point Stephen became entangled by an overhanging thornbush, which caused him distress.

"It's insulting," Stephen told the Gazette, "I reported the issue to the council back in March and it has just got worse.

"At one point, they looked at it but I was told nothing needs to be done, but they do not understand the issues I'm having as a visually impaired person."

Stephen has previously spoken to the Gazette about the issues in previous years, and explained how "It is sad because I keep reporting it to the council, but they only do something about it when it is reported in the paper.

"It's a joke, this is the main route I have been taught to use since I became blind, which is supposedly safe, but this isn't the case.

"There is another route I can take, but the pathway is covered in stinging nettles which are extremely overgrown."

@mattrookstaylor A blind man's struggle with the council #Basingstoke #blind #disability #disabled #council ♬ original sound - Matt

Stephen explained how on occasion, two people who work in the nearby graveyard have spotted him struggling and used their trimmers to cut back the bushes, however, he feels that "it shouldn't be down to good samaritans and volunteers to deal with the matter."

He said: "There's always a way out of it that they find to not sort the issues.

"If something needs to be done, surely it should be. You pay enough tax for it.

The pavement also poses another obstacle for Stephen, who has fallen over multiple times due to uneven ground, cracks, flooding and ice in the winter.

Stephen said: "There is an area that gets caught up in water, and in the winter, it becomes a skating rink.

"I'm not being bitter about it, I just want to be able to go about my daily life, it needs regular maintenance.

"All you're asking for is for it to be safe."

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council told the Gazette: "We’re sorry to hear of this gentleman’s experience.

"Responsibility for cutting back overgrown vegetation along the B3051 in Overton lies with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council so we have asked them to cut this back to improve access.

"We can also confirm that we have inspected the pavements in this area but could not find any defects requiring attention.

"We work hard to ensure that Hampshire's 5,500 miles of roads and footpaths are maintained in a safe condition, as far as reasonably possible, through scheduled highway inspections and, in doing so, we follow national guidelines.

"Inspections also take place when we are notified of concerns from the public.

"We are always grateful to receive reports of carriageway or footway defects online via our website or the OurHants app."