A LONG-RUNNING feud between residents and Two Rivers Housing over the upkeep of an area in Broadwell has erupted into court action.

Residents around Edinburgh Place and Queensway, claim they have been ordered by its landlord to pay £1,300 for repairs to an unadopted road.

Two Rivers say residents were aware of the situation and it has tried to work with them.

One resident said: “In 2012 Two Rivers wanted to charge for allocated parking bays and we challenged this, stating the road was in a desperate need of repair – this went on for ages.

“At the time, Two Rivers denied owning the road and concluded it was no man’s land. Two Rivers couldn’t find who owned the road past Edinburgh Place and residents said they were not prepared to pay for the road as the council should set aside money for maintenance.

“There are now cracked pavements and the state of the road is appalling.”

Resident Nicola Morse added: “Some 27 houses are affected – 15 of which are owned by Two Rivers. Some of my neighbours had it stated in their title deeds that they would have to contribute to maintenance cost but didn’t understand the full implications.

“This isn’t the problem. The road was in a pitiful state when Two Rivers bought the houses from the district council and there was no consultation with private home owners during the sale. Also we have allegedly an ongoing responsibility to maintain the road. We are independently seeking legal advice.

“Highways have quoted £35,000 to fix the road – it would make sense for them to adopt it. Those who are refusing to pay – like myself – are now being taken to court.”

A spokesperson for Two Rivers Housing said: “We have tried to involve all the homeowners and various councillors representing them throughout this project, to consult and keep them informed at every stage but, apart from attending one initial meeting, most of our letters have been ignored. They also ignored our invitation to get their own quotations for the repairs.

“We told them what the work would cost, the repairs were carried out at the end of 2014 and we have been writing since January 2015 asking for their share, including offering payment by instalments to make it easier for them.

“In October we warned those who continued refusing to pay that we would take action to recover the sums owed, which will increase once legal expenses are added.

“These residents are legally responsible for these costs, and they knew this when they bought their homes. It would be morally wrong to expect our charity – and our tenants – to subsidise them.”

Cllr Martin Hill (UKIP, Coleford East) has requested information from Gloucestershire Highways asking how the road could have been owned by the council but not adopted.

He said: “There is some legislation on the road having been dedicated to the public to use which has been accepted for over 20 years. The road should be classified as a highway.

“I will also be speaking with a solicitor who dealt with the grass cutting dispute and open an escrow account to fundraise for our cause.”