Residents Clash with Developer Over Housing Estate Access
Neighbors in a Worcestershire village are blocking access to a proposed housing site by parking their cars, citing concerns over bullying and safety.
Residents in Drakes Broughton, Worcestershire, are engaged in a stand-off with developers by parking their vehicles to obstruct access to land designated for a new housing estate. Owl Properties claims a legal right to access the site on Pippin Walk, but locals are refusing to move their cars, accusing the developer of "bullying and intimidation."
The dispute centers on a proposed 30-home development behind the residents' properties. Those living adjacent to the planned site have been instructed to stop parking at the entrance, but they contend they have no alternative parking options. Geraldine Price, a 70-year-old NHS administrator who lives with her husband Alan, 75, stated that allowing access could lead to them losing the frontage of their bungalow. "It's a nightmare for anyone who enjoys the peace and quiet of living around here," she said. "We face the prospect of never being able to open our front sitting room windows and losing the pavement and gravel frontage at the side of our home to make way for widening the road."
The row began when an independent landowner sold the field to Owl Properties. The sale included a legally recognized easement agreement, believed to have been in place since 2017 when housing provider Sanctuary purchased a separate development site that Pippin Walk is now part of. Martin Huxley, 49, a builder who rents his home on the cul-de-sac, believes residents and private owners should have been informed about this easement when they moved in.
Huxley explained that Owl Properties' attempt to gain access from Stonebow Road was previously rejected by the planning authority, leading them to pursue access through Pippin Walk. "The first thing the people living here knew anything about an easement agreement was a few months ago when representatives from Sanctuary and Owl started visiting homes and telling people they would have to move their cars because this was going to be the only access to the new housing estate," he said.
Residents have expressed concerns about the impact of increased traffic, including construction vehicles, on their quality of life and safety. Some elderly and disabled residents have been directed to park at the end of the road in areas marked with paint. Huxley, who is now chairing a new residents' association, noted the challenges this poses for families with autistic children or disabled dependents. "Some residents are going to be losing part of their house frontages and even some are having drain covers moved from the road into their gardens," he added.
Tracy Price, 61, a retired school worker, voiced feelings of betrayal by the housing association, stating that she chose to live on the quiet cul-de-sac specifically to avoid congestion. "I'm a blue badge holder and use a walker because of my arthritis so living in a quiet little road where no vehicles come up and down is perfect for me," she explained.
A spokesperson for Sanctuary confirmed that the development is not a Sanctuary site and that the Local Planning Authority approved the access route. "While we have asked residents of Pippin Walk to ensure the road is kept clear in line with the developer's legal right to enter their site, and to protect emergency vehicle access, we are not proposing legal action in relation to this matter unless a further review is required in the future," the spokesperson said.
Owl Properties declined to comment on the matter. A spokesman for Wychavon District Council, which granted the development plans, also stated that the situation is a "land dispute and not a planning issue."