Gardeners' Delight: Shropshire Residents Triumph in Boundary Battle
Residents living on a street named after the legendary Blue Peter gardener Percy Thrower have emerged victorious from a tense standoff with developers who threatened to bulldoze their cherished gardens. The green-fingered locals on Percy Thrower Avenue in Bonmere Heath, Shropshire, faced the devastating prospect of losing significant portions of their outdoor spaces to make way for new housing.
The Shock Ultimatum
In May, homeowners received a brutal warning from the Housing Plus Group: they had just 28 days to clear their gardens before the developers would take direct action to remove what they termed an 'encroachment'. The housing association claimed the well-tended gardens had strayed beyond their legal boundaries onto land not belonging to them.
For resident Alex Titley, 45, this meant potentially losing eight feet of her garden, including two mature trees and her beloved shed. "My garden is my sanctuary," Ms Titley explained. "It's a peaceful place for me while I struggle to cope with my daughter's health problems. The anxiety this has caused is unbelievable."
The community described experiencing immense stress throughout the summer months, with many unable to properly enjoy or maintain their gardens while facing such uncertainty. Jonathan Kessel-Fell, 54, echoed the sentiment shared by many neighbours: "We have been looking after the boundary, which is on their deeds, for 20 years. We're all in really busy jobs and our gardens are our sanctuary."
Community Resistance Leads to Victory
Rather than accepting the developers' demands, the residents of Percy Thrower Avenue organised and lodged a formal appeal, temporarily halting the threatened bulldozing. They maintained that the developers were mistaken about the boundary lines and that they had cared for the land in question for two decades.
Their persistence paid off when, following what Housing Plus Group described as a "thorough investigation," the organisation performed a complete U-turn. Last week, relief swept through the avenue as residents received letters confirming their gardens were safe from development.
"I felt a huge amount of relief," Ms Titley admitted. "It has been such a stressful and anxiety-provoking time." However, she expressed frustration at the lack of apology from Housing Plus Group for the distress caused to the community.
In their communication to residents, Housing Plus Group stated they wished to "maintain positive relationships with the local community" and promised that "future communications on development matters are handled sensitively and clearly."
The resolution brings to an end what residents described as a "super stressful few months," allowing them to finally enjoy their gardens without fear of destruction. As Ms Titley summarised: "I am over the moon that it has been resolved, it should have never happened in the first place - but at least there is relief now."
