81-Year-Old Woman Wins Three-Year Battle Against Council Over Garden Access
A tribunal ruled in favor of Helene Ball, establishing a right of way and ordering the council to pay £50,000 in costs.
An 81-year-old woman has successfully concluded a three-year dispute with Derbyshire County Council over access to her property. Helene Ball, who has resided on George Road in Matlock, Derbyshire, since 1967, challenged the council's decision to install a metal fence panel across a gap in her garden wall in April 2023. This gap, which her family had used for decades, had been gated and provided access for approximately 98cm.
A first-tier tribunal has ruled in Ball's favor, affirming her right of way after she provided evidence of continuous use of the gate since the 1960s. The ruling mandates that the council must ensure her access is not impeded in the future and has ordered them to pay £50,000 in legal costs.
Ball, a retired teacher, described the council's actions as "babyish" and "beyond childish." She stated that the council "did everything they could to bully" her but that they "messed with the wrong ones." She added that the three-year legal battle had caused significant stress, particularly given her age, but expressed relief at having proven her rights were blocked.