A BURY pensioner claims she has been driven out of her home by housing developers.

Mrs Marie McKenzie (68) has decided to move out of her country cottage, where she has lived for the past 36 years, because she feels it is impossible to live there any longer.

The drastic action, she says, is because house builders Morris Homes have failed to ensure resident-access while building work is carried out.

Mrs McKenzie said it has become increasingly difficult for her to get to and from her property, off Woodgate Hill Road, and claims developers have made the land "like a quagmire".

She said: "There are great big bulldozers which leave huge ruts in the mud, and when it rains it makes it slippy. I am not good on my feet and the mess is damaging my car."

She added: "I am like a prisoner in my own home. The workmen tidy up each evening, but I have to go out during the day. It is outrageous."

Mrs McKenzie, of Holebottom Cottage, said that earlier this week her car became stuck in the mud and she had to beep her horn until someone came to her rescue.

She said: "I was trying to get home when my car became wedged on the rocks. I couldn't move so the workmen had to push me out. I can't imagine what would have happened if it was during the night." Mrs McKenzie, pictured beside the muddy quagmire, says she has been forced to look for alternative accommodation as a result, and is now planning to move to Worcester to live with her niece.

She said: "All they keep saying is that it will be for another couple of weeks, but it is not acceptable."

Mike Gaskell, managing director of Morris Homes, in Newton-le-Willows, said that as well as developing the land behind Rochdale Old Road to make way for 12 new houses on the Millbrook site, it was actually creating an adopted highway to replace the "dirt track" that provides access to Mrs McKenzie's cottage.

Mr Gaskell said: "We are spending £100,000 on road improvements and inevitably there will be short term problems. The contractors are working as speedily as possible and we are trying to accommodate the access problem as well as we can."

Mrs McKenzie made a complaint to the site office a few days ago, the road was "stoned up", and she left apparently happy. It is unfortunate that some disruption has occurred but residents will soon be able to benefit from a proper road and street lighting."

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