23 September (Part 2) - Gardeners’ World
Yesterday afternoon I returned to
the allegedly derelict garden
to hear what Bexley council had to say about it. I arrived early enough to stand on the shed
roof to see if I could see the complaining neighbour’s house from nearly six feet above the
surface I had photographed the day before. It was totally obscured by trees.
I strolled around taking photographs thinking it was a fairy grotto rather than a traditional
garden and began to like it. How anyone could consider it derelict beats me. While there I
learned about the surveyor’s report which confirms that a fence has strayed towards the
victim’s side just as I suspected on my first visit. I asked the owner how
long ago it was his neighbour artificially raised the height of his garden by
installing decking eighteen inches above the original surface. He replied “soon
after he moved in three years ago”. So he bought the house in the full knowledge
that the house next door had a non-traditional
garden adorned with pots and old kettles for robins’ nests and now he doesn’t like it. Unbelievable.
The council officials turned up on time. A John Waring from Bexley’s Environmental
Health Department, a lady from the Housing Department who did nothing but take
photographs and the council’s solicitor, Guy Atkins, who said very little.
Mr. Waring did the talking. He took the line that the garden would not now be
considered “derelict” as it was tidier than when he first saw it in April but he
refused to accept that it was already much tidier when he saw it seven weeks ago
and took the ‘derelict’ decision. Photographs show it was. He is now going to
pursue his victims for “loss of local amenity”.
Presumably keen to find something wrong with the garden at all costs he plans to
come back when the leaves have fallen from the trees which currently obscure the
view from the complaining neighbour’s house. There is therefore a stay of execution
but my view is that Bexley council is intent on taking some sort of action if they possibly
can. Meanwhile the householders’ stress, aggravation and lawyer’s bills continue,
with Bexley council said to be providing more of the stress than the complaining neighbour.