A community is in turmoil after a barrier erected by a local shopkeeper has left residents unable to access their driveways, sparking outrage among those who have used the private road for years. One long-standing resident lamented to StokeonTrentLive: “Aspire has suggested I contact a solicitor, which I did, but they charge £1,900 just to listen to me and I haven’t got that sort of money.
“The police have said they can’t do anything.” The contentious road was sold by Aspire Housing to the proprietor of Unity Way Convenience, who insists he’s willing to grant access if neighbours chip in for maintenance costs. He justified the barrier, stating: “There are so many illegal activities going on in the car park – that’s why I’ve put the barrier up.”, reports Birmingham Live.
He further explained his stance: “The second reason I had the gate was because I said to the neighbours they can use my road, it doesn’t matter, if they help to share the cost of tarmacing the road, but they said they don’t want to share the cost of tarmacing the road.”
A local councillor has reportedly weighed in, declaring the driveways unlawful, while the shopkeeper maintains: “People can walk through there, it’s just vehicles that can’t because people were driving on there all the time.” He also stressed: “Nobody is allowed to access their caravans or use their cars there because it damages my road.” Newcastle Borough Council has acknowledged a complaint about the contentious barrier installation.
Councillor Andrew Fear, responsible for strategic planning, confirmed: “We have received a complaint regarding a possible breach of planning control and are investigating to see if this falls within the council’s jurisdiction. We will update the complainant as soon as possible.”
Aspire Housing, the previous landowner, is optimistic about finding a satisfactory solution. Mark Warburton, who oversees assets and sustainability, explained: “This site on Unity Way was sold in February 2021, which included the shops, the land at the rear of those shops, and the footpath through to Maple Avenue.
“Any formal access rights in place at the time of the sale will have been transferred as part of the sale or would have to be agreed with the owner following the sale. Our tenancy agreements do not include any specific provisions around parking or access to this site. We will support our customers where possible and advise that any concerns around access are also raised with the owner of this land, who we hope will listen to residents’ concerns and act reasonably in considering requests for access.”