Spalding pedestrian accessway to be closed off

A dingy pedestrian accessway strewn with rubbish and drug paraphernalia will be blocked off after the City of Greater Geraldton heeded a resident’s pleas for help.

Councillors voted unanimously at their February 22 meeting to ask the Minister for Lands and the WA Planning Commission to endorse the closure and amalgamation of the accessway on Craine Place in Spalding.

The vote followed years of pleas from resident Ray Cooper, who said passers-by threw rubbish over his fence and his grandchildren had seen a man urinating in the path.

The fencing has various sections missing and is marred by graffiti.

Pedestrians also use the strip to illegally access vacant private properties fronting Lawley Street.

Cr Natasha Colliver said it was “sad to say” there was no alternative “but to close this.”

Cr Robert Hall described the access way as a “waste of space”.

“This will make it a lot easier on the lifestyle of the people living next to it,” he said.