Katherines’ resident continues his battle with Harlow Council over tree roots
Crime / Mon 11th Oct 2021 at 07:12am
BACK in 2017, YourHarlow interviewed Heighams resident, Pauras Kolah.
He was in dispute with Harlow Council over tree roots that he alleged had damaged the fabric of his house.
Last week, as part of a number of stories we are revisiting, we went back to Katherines to speak to Mr Kolah and ascertain whether he had made any progress over the past four years.
He appears to have hit a brick wall with Harlow Council. He has also lodged a complaint with Essex Police.
We have approached Harlow Council and Essex Police for a comment.
Nicholas Taylor
2021-10-11 09:37:17
Since our inception in January 2018, the issue of trees has been one of the most common complaints we have heard from residents. The problem stems from the fact that the Harlow Development Corporation planted thousands of trees across the town, in many cases close to homes and or of a variety which was likely to cause damage in the long term. As the decades have passed and now that thousands of homes have been bought from the council, residents have become more aware of problems which can occur. In recent years it has become evident that the Council, via it's contractors have had no planned maintenance programme to keep trees from damaging homes, it has taken a re-active approach, carrying out work only after damage has occurred, rather than being pro-active which is to carrying out works to remove trees and reduce the size of them before damage occurs. For a number of years the Council has proclaimed that it's contractor has made a profit when in reality this is only money which has not been spent. What should have happened to this money was to spend at least some of it on what is now in fact a legal requirement, to maintain council owned trees. The Harlow Alliance Party have raised this issue earlier this year at a Council meeting and been assured that a planned programme of work will be drawn up. In the meantime, cases like that of Mr Kolah should be given the utmost priority. The wall of silence experienced by Mr Kolah is not one which residents of Harlow should expect from it's Council and Councillors, but I am afraid that I think this is not an isolated case either. It will be interesting to see what if any response the editor receives from Harlow Council.
Jerry
2021-10-11 11:14:33
I hope he gets charged with wasting police time. Since when have trees and the damage they may cause been a police matter?
BS
2021-10-14 21:41:31
Absolutely appalling behaviour of Harlow council.
Nicholas Henry
2021-10-14 22:35:36
The council owned house as well as trees. When it sold houses it could well have sold the treas as well. Now it is a big mess to clear.
Pauras Kolah
2021-10-22 09:43:44
A simple question to Harlow Council is why did Harlow Council state that my complaint was "vexatious" and "without substance" when my complaints were supported by the LAW, the EVIDENCE & ADMISSIONS by Harlow Council representatives Cunningham Lindsey and Weightmans Solicitors that their trees are causing damage to our property? That was in 2016, then in 2018 2 councillors advised that the trees causing damage to our property would be removed! They were NOT and damage is still being caused. So, what is going on and why is Harlow Council not even responding to Your Harlow, to me or even the Police?
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