WHEN pensioner Pat Collins moved into a Chester retirement home she envisaged pleasant evenings sitting in a rose-lined garden.

But 14 months on she says the grounds at Kingswood in Newton have been so poorly maintained they now look like a motorway central reservation.

Pat, 78, told the Standard she has had to keep the blinds closed in her apartment to avoid looking at the “eyesore” outside.

She pays a weekly service charge of £69.11 – which is meant to include garden maintenance – and claims she has been complaining about the situation for at least eight months.

“My garden is a disaster zone,” she said. “It would be lovely for me to be able to sit out and admire my garden but at the moment it looks like the central reservation area of a motorway!

“The weeds were six feet high when I moved here. They did cut them down but now new ones have grown and they’re about four feet now. It’s horrendous.”

She said Your Housing Group, which runs the 82-apartment facility for over 55s on Kingsway, had amassed £27,000 in surplus funds from residents’ amenity charge.

“They’ve got £27,000 in the kitty but can’t keep the gardens maintained,” said Pat, who is partially disabled and used to work in accounts.

“I didn’t want to call the newspaper as I’m not the sort of person who makes waves but they won’t do anything. As it is it’s an eyesore.”

She had grand plans of planting roses around the border of her garden after receiving them as a Christmas present but so far she has been unable to start the project.

“They’re still in their pots!” she said. “I feel I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life moving here. They think that because you’re a pensioner and elderly that you haven’t got brains.”

A spokesman for Your Housing Group stressed other residents had been “really happy” with the work taking place.

He said: “We’re sorry to hear Mrs Collins is unhappy with the shared gardens at Kingswood.

“There have been historical issues with some areas of the grounds but we’ve worked closely with residents and during the last few weeks worked hard to improve these and other areas, removing weeds and replanting, and have received positive comments from other residents.

“Further areas will be renovated through the summer and regular maintenance undertaken to keep the gardens in good condition so they can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.”