THE residents of Holmdene rest-home are very happy at the news the Clutha District Council will fix cracked footpaths in Balclutha.
Last month, rest-home resident Natalie Hill presented a petition to Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan asking to have fixed the cracked and potholed footpaths in Elizabeth and Charlotte Sts, near Holmdene.
Mrs Hill appeared at a full council meeting last week to discuss the petition.
She said she counted 19 potholes when she took her wheelchair on a recent trip from Holmdene.
The cracks and potholes made trips uncomfortable and Mrs Hill was often ''double-bumped'' as her wheelchair had two sets of wheels.
The petition had more than 200 signatures from residents, staff and friends or family of Holmdene.
At the meeting, Mr Cadogan confirmed with Mrs Hill the council had awarded a contract to Andrew Haulage to start repair work on Elizabeth St and several others in the town.
Council service delivery group manager Jules Witt said the footpath upgrade had been scheduled for some time and was not a direct response to the petition.
''But it was great to see residents being proactive about their issues and for us to be able to give them some answers at a council meeting,'' he said.
The upgrade would target several streets in Balclutha. The full extent would depend on how much the budget allowed.
The first part of the work will be in Elizabeth St, which links Holmdene to the main street.
It was anticipated to start at the end of the week and be completed by mid-June.
At the meeting, Mrs Hill was delighted at the response from the council and thanked it for making progress on the issue.
