Latest news with #neighbourcomplaints
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Mum locked in bitter row with neighbours over bus parked on her OWN drive as fuming locals say it ‘ruins the ambience'
A FURIOUS mum-of-two says she is being 'treated like a criminal' after 'stuck up' neighbours complained about a double-decker bus parked on her drive. The council has ordered Wendy Salmon, 55, to remove the vehicle after complaints that it 'ruined the ambience'. 6 6 Salmon, who runs a pub, accused her neighbours of 'rallying' against her by complaining to the council about the bus. She described the situation as 'ridiculous' and accused neighbours of being 'curtain twitchers' who 'act like they own the street'. Despite Surrey Heath Council accepting she was 'not breaking any laws', Salmon was hit with a CPN, formerly known as an ASBO. She must remove the bus by June 20 after a bitter two year legal battle. She said: "The wording of the CPN was that it was 'upsetting the ambience of the local area'. 'Now no-one speaks to me. All my neighbours completely ignore me. ''I'm being treated like a criminal even though I've never committed a crime in my life. The huge falling-out started in March 2023 when Salmon bought the double-decker bus for £6,000 from a friend's brother. She said her plan was to convert the bus into a bar and cafe for private parties and events. Wendy added: "I keep myself to myself but this was going to be a business for me and my children. 'I am still hoping to do it but it's going to be a lot more costly and difficult.' Her street in Camberley is lined with four bedroom detached properties with an average house price of around £600,000. Salmon's house is at the end of the cul-de-sac. She said her drive was out of the view of most of the residents complaining. Salmon said: "This was started by just one neighbour who did not like the look of something. 'I had to tell her she does not own my house - she does not own the street. You can not even see it until you get to the end of the drive." "I wanted this to be an investment for my children, giving them an opportunity to work for themselves as they both have a passion for food,' Salmon told SWNS. But within fifteen minutes of parking the bus outside her home, a man arrived to ask if it would be a 'permanent feature'. After an hour, the mum-of-two said he returned to warn her that there would be more complaints. Salmon said: 'Over the next few days his wife spoke to me and asked various questions. 'I told her that I was renovating the bus and that I hoped it would be completed in three months." 6 6 The bus was then reported as 'abandoned', which led to a visit from Surrey Heath Borough Council. The council initially confirmed via email that there are no planning restrictions, and no further action would be taken. But two weeks later, the council told Salmon a further complaint had been received. Salmon claimed this was from a different neighbour who couldn't see the bus from their house but was a 'friend of the initial complainer'. She added: "I later received another visit from the council and I showed them the inside of the bus, clearly work had been carried out. 'Apparently, my neighbour had told them that she didn't want to see my bus while she was sitting watching TV in the summer." Wendy received an email from the council advising her to register the vehicle as off the road and complete the renovation as soon as possible. She said: "Yet a few months later I received a Community Protection Warning (CPW) from the council. 'It said that if I can't comply with the order I could get a fixed penalty notice, be prosecuted, or the bus could be destroyed or disposed of.' Salmon said the warning had an 'impossible timescale'. 6 A few months later, the CPN arrived and she had 'no choice' but to appeal. Salmon's limited funds meant she had to represent herself in court. She reluctantly dropped the appeal after getting the wording of the CPN changed. She said: "The council team was saying that after eight months the bus was still on my drive, and it needed to be moved. "They couldn't comprehend that their actions had caused the delay. "I reminded them that the CPN meant the bus would not be allowed to park in a residential area in Surrey Heath, and I explained how this would affect my business plan. "The bottom line was if I didn't agree to move the bus then I would have to go into court and be cross examined. "I didn't want my personal life played out in court, knowing that I would be the victim yet again of local gossip. "We went in front of the judge, I explained that the only reason I was dropping the appeal was because it was making me ill, with my family including my 79-year-old father having been bullied by my neighbours. "I don't know what the future holds, but I do not like my previously loved home. 'I don't want to leave the house as I feel bullied, neighbours no longer speak to me or my partner. "I have had over a year of sleepless nights, stress and anxiety. My dream of restoring the bus is no longer something that I want to do. "It is the council and my neighbour who have upset the ambiance in the local area, not me." "It's getting so close to the deadline I think I will put it in the pub car park for now," she added. Salmon claims that only one neighbour had 'an issue' with the bus and 'wouldn't let it rest'. 'The neighbour is just so stuck up and doesn't like the way it looked and only cared what people might think,' she said. "She just didn't like the way it looked and instigated complaints." The neighbour who launched the complaint was unavailable to comment. Surrey Heath Council said in a statement: "We are unable to comment on this case at present." 6
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Homeowner with 20ft elephant on driveway has it confiscated after complaints over multi-coloured ‘monstrosity'
A BELOVED 20 foot-long elephant slide has been confiscated from a homeowner's driveway due to complaints from neighbours. Trevor Robinson, 71, said he would "pay any money" to get the colourful "monstrosity" back. 2 He acquired the eight-foot tall fibreglass elephant slide, named Ellie, two months ago after seeing sub-contractors preparing to remove it from a nearby leisure centre in Gillingham, Kent. Trevor said: "I saw them taking it away [from the leisure park] and said, 'no I will have it.' "They thought I was joking." Ellie was then delivered to Trevor's house in the suburb of Twydall, Kent for free. But last Thursday, one of the sub-contractors returned to say the council was ordering him to take the slide away due to neighbour complaints. Medway Council also labelled it an "unsafe structure", and revealed intentions to dispose of it. Trevor, who also owns two Jaguars and a Harley Davidson at his home, thinks that "jealousy" and a dislike for the Union Jack flag that is painted on the side of Ellie is what caused neighbours to complain. "People loved it. I wanted to let kids and their parents come round and use it and give the money to charity." He added: "There are a few neighbours who don't like me, but all their kids were waiting to have a go on it." The homeowner planned to install a pond in his back garden to go along with the slide, as well as his collection of garden ornaments. Shoppers urged 'not to blink' and get their hands on Home Bargains garden essential that sold out fast last time and it makes your garden extra cute - TikTok homebargainsofficialuk Ellie, however, was too heavy to be lifted over his house, and a forklift driver just assembled the play equipment on Trevor's driveway. The elephant slide has been part of some of Trevor's fondest memories from a young age, being situated at the Strand leisure park since he was a child. He said: "I think it is diabolical. All the kids loved it. If they haven't broken it up then I will pay to get it back. I miss it, it has been a part of my life for so long. "Everyone is really upset that it is gone. I want to get it back, I don't care what it costs. I will pay any money - I just want her back," he continued. Self-proclaimed "eccentric character" Trevor says he would even give away one of his Jaguar cars to have Ellie returned to him. A Medway Council spokesperson said: "During our annual health and safety audit of The Strand, the slide, which is now more than 30 years old, was not deemed to be safe so we took the decision to remove it. "Medway Norse arranged for a sub-contractor to remove the structure. Once we became aware that a resident had the slide following complaints, we arranged for it to be picked up so it can be safely disposed of as it is an unsafe structure."
