Overgrown tree keeps pensioner in the dark
13:55, 07 July 2010
updated: 13:56, 07 July 2010
A pensioner with impaired eyesight says she is living in near darkness because her housing association refuses to trim back a tree.
Dorothy Harris, who lives on the Maples estate in Minster, claims she has to put her living room lights on in the morning, along with a reading lamp, because the tree is blocking light coming through her window.
The 74-year-old claims all her pleas to housing association AmicusHorizon, to either cut the tree down or trim it back, are falling on deaf ears.
Speaking from her upstairs one-bedroom flat, the former care home worker said: “It’s only morning and here I am having to move about with the living room lights and table lamps on.
“The association had a tree surgeon trim the branches a couple of years ago and then the light coming through was lovely.
“Since then the branches have bounced back putting me back in darkness as it adds to my impaired eyesight problem.
“I attend Maidstone Hospital to receive very expensive injections into my right eye, just to try to stabilise what eyesight I have left.
“When I look at anything I have this black blob suspended in front of my eye.
“With restricted light coming through my window its negating all the good work the hospital is doing.
“When visitors come they take one look at the problem and say I wouldn’t want that tree there.”
Mrs Harris commented: “I’ve been constantly in touch with the association but they really don’t care.”
AmicusHorizon regional asset director, Victoria Benson, said in a statement: “Every year [we] carry out a health and safety inspection to assess the condition of the trees that are situated on our land.
“If a resident has any concerns about a tree that is near to their home, then they can report their query to our asset management team.
“They will assess the situation and advise appropriate action, according to each individual case.
“We will not cut down a tree if it is deemed to be healthy.”
She would not comment on the possibility of trimming the branches and not cutting it down as it had happened previously.
