THE picturesque Meltham Greenway is being spoilt by kids dropping litter and riding off-road bikes.
One of the residents says that beer cans, bottles and rubbish left behind in the pathway are a blight on the area.
Jane Rose says that there is a growing problem with dog fouling not being cleared away or thrown in bags into nearby blackberry bushes.
And she has also called for a gate to help prevent off-road bikes and quad bikes getting onto the pathway.
But the council has told her that while a “kissing gate would help to control motorbike usage... the council does not want to erect a gate”.
In fact the council believes that a single timber post prevents vehicle access – but a picture taken by a neighbour shows a motorbike accessing the area.
Mrs Rose has lived nearby for eight and a half years and said: “All the residents have had trouble.
“We keep being told by the council to make a list of all the problems and then they’ll arrange a meeting – but I’ve been doing that for eight years.
“Everybody knows about the problems, everybody knows how to stop it, but nothing is being done about it.”
The 27 residents of a nearby estate want a kissing gate to prevent motorbikes and quad bike access.
They looked at a brochure of gates which the council would use and are adamant that the gates would not prevent wheelchair or pushchair access.
The mother-of-four added: “They have said that we’ve got no civic pride – but the opposite of that is true.
“We are protecting our homes and would like to see the Greenway as it should be.
“I’ve got four small children and we don’t use and enjoy that area as much as we should.
“When we see the gangs go past the residents know we are in for a sleepless night.
“We hope they will finally listen to the problems we experience every day and do something – but we are a very small voice against a big organisation.”
A spokeswoman for Kirklees Council said: “A heavy duty timber post has been erected to prevent vehicle access whilst still allowing access by wheelchairs and pavement scooters.
“We do not plan to erect a gate as it would be very difficult to prohibit off-road bikes whilst still allowing easy access to the Greenway by legitimate users.”
“There is a very active Friends of Meltham Greenway group which involves local residents and Sustrans Volunteer Rangers who help keep the path clear of litter, cutting back vegetation and securing funding to carry out further path link work and path improvements.”
