UK Couple's New Driveway Rendered Useless by Council Bollards

Amanda and Neil Cousins, a couple from Middleton Saint George, UK, spent thousands of pounds earlier this year to pave their front yard. However, they forgot to notify the local council, which ended up installing bollards, preventing them from parking their car.

A New Driveway and Unforeseen Consequences

The couple decided to pave and partially fence their front yard on Middleton Lane in March. "We had grass and a footpath, but tree roots were causing them to rise, so we chose to install a driveway," they explained. However, a council official soon discovered that Neil was illegally parking his car on the newly paved area.

Council Intervention

In May, the couple received a warning from the council. The letter threatened the installation of bollards if the footpath was damaged and to prevent vehicles from driving over it. "Since then, we have not parked our car there, but they have now installed bollards anyway," Amanda told the British media.

The council clarified that the front yard was paved without notification, and the residents were warned that the driveway could not be used as a parking place, partly due to a nearby crossing for school children.

A Regretful Oversight

"Admittedly, we have been naive, but I find it terrible that it has come to this," lamented Amanda. "It just looks awful. I am constantly confronted with this when I look out the window, so I no longer raise the blinds."