Tenant at wits' end in row over removed hedge at his Mansfield home

Tony Eaton 57, of Goodacre Street, who already suffers from depression, says the dispute has impacted badly on his mental health.

The hedge, which partially separated his front garden from the road and also divided his home from next door, was uprooted by Mansfield District Council in late 2018 because it had become wildly overgrown.

He claims the council, which owns the property, promised to replace it with a fence, but the work has never been done.

It has left Tony without privacy as passers-by take a short cut through his garden. And he also fears for the safety of his grandchildren when they visit.

"I cannot let my three-year-old grandson, Oscar, play on the front garden in case he runs straight on to the road,” he said.

"Lives are being put at risk. It’s quite a busy road, and cars park along here when they visit the nearby mosque.

"People just walk through the garden. I even found someone sleeping there one morning after a night on drink or drugs.

"Also, there is nothing to stop dogs coming in and messing.

"The gap that has been left is unbelievable. It is the length of two houses.”

Tony says he has been in regular contact with the council, but has been unable to find a solution.

"They promised me faithfully to put a new fence up, but I have been fighting this fight ever since,” he went on.

"All the other houses on the street have fences, but I just have a big, empty space.

"It is not my fault the hedge was removed in the first place. If I had taken down a fence or a gate, they would be taking me to court.

"I can’t afford to put a fence up myself because I can’t work on account of my mental-health problems.

“A few years ago, I was beaten up and left for dead, and I have suffered from stress and depression ever since. I get support from the Millbrook Hospital at King’s Mill.

"This is affecting my sleep, and it stresses me up so much.”

The Chad contacted Mansfield District Council this week to try and resolve the issue. However, they had bad news for Tony because they revealed it was NOT their responsibility to replace the hedge.

Jill Finnesey, head of housing at the council, said: “In 2018, Nottinghamshire County Council served notice on Mansfield District Council, as the landowner, to get the boundary hedge cut back because it was obstructing the pavement.

"The maintenance of boundary hedges is the responsibility of tenants, rather than landlords.

"As this hedge wasn’t being maintained, the district council arranged for it to be removed.

"Any fencing is a tenant’s responsibility and not that of their landlord.

"Tenants who wish to put up fencing are advised to contact the council to ensure they have the necessary permission.”