Pensioner's Property Nightmare as Council Scaffolding Slashes Home Value by £600,000
A 79-year-old pensioner has launched a fierce accusation against his local council, claiming that emergency scaffolding installed to prevent a car park from subsiding has wiped a staggering £600,000 off the value of his idyllic Cotswold home. Andrew Ewart-James, who has resided in his cottage in the picturesque village of South Woodchester for 49 years, asserts that the unsightly structure has rendered his property effectively unsellable and transformed his life into a daily misery.
Decades of Warnings Ignored
Mr Ewart-James revealed that he first alerted Stroud District Council to a problematic retaining wall in his garden as far back as 1986. Despite his early warnings, the council only took action in 2019, erecting emergency scaffolding that has now remained in place for seven consecutive years. 'I feel trapped. I am a prisoner in my own home. It's never-ending,' he told the Daily Mail. 'I fear I will die before this gets sorted. I want it resolved before I die or have to go into a care home.'
The financial impact has been devastating. Mr Ewart-James estimates that his home, which he purchased in 1977, would be worth between £1 million and £1.25 million without the structural issue. However, the persistent scaffolding has halved its market value, resulting in a catastrophic loss of approximately £600,000. 'All because of their incompetence,' he lamented.
A Costly and Dangerous Stalemate
The scaffolding, which dominates his garden and is visible immediately upon opening his back door, is not merely an eyesore but a significant safety concern. 'I've had an engineer around who said that it could collapse at any point, and then come into my kitchen,' Mr Ewart-James explained. 'It's still moving. I fear one day it will collapse. It could happen at any moment.' This has made it 'too dangerous' to spend meaningful time in his garden, robbing him of the stunning views that originally attracted him to the property.
Meanwhile, the council continues to maintain the scaffolding at a cost of £368 per week to taxpayers, amounting to over £100,000 annually. 'It's crazy that £100,000 of our money is being used on this. The council has not done a proper job. It's like they don't care about me,' he added. The pensioner, now a widower, is desperate to sell the property to downsize and ensure his children receive their inheritance, but the 'horrific' situation has made this impossible.
Legal Action and Council Response
Frustrated by years of inaction, Mr Ewart-James has initiated High Court proceedings against Stroud District Council. He insists that the council has failed to communicate effectively, leaving him 'in the dark' while publicly claiming he is being kept informed. 'All they want to do is the cheapest job possible. They do not seem interested in fixing it,' he stated.
Reflecting on the history, he noted that when he bought the home, the adjacent car park had only two vehicles, but it now accommodates seven or eight, placing undue stress on the inadequate retaining wall. 'We warned them. There were problems quite early on. It was not built for a council car park like that. This is their fault,' he asserted.
In response, a spokesperson for Stroud District Council said: 'Stroud District Council is committed to progressing this project as quickly as possible. Delays arose in late 2024 due to difficulties agreeing design details with Mr Ewart-James’ structural engineer. To resolve this, we appointed an independent Party Wall surveyor, as did Mr Ewart-James. By March 2025, proposals were agreed. We are in the process of agreeing a licence to facilitate the works with Mr Ewart-James. Once the licence completes, we will move swiftly to appoint contractors and schedule works.'
Despite this assurance, Mr Ewart-James remains sceptical, haunted by the financial and emotional toll. 'Who in their right mind would live here when it looks like this?' he questioned, underscoring the profound impact of what he describes as systemic council failure on his life and livelihood.
