Apparently lockdown stifled the ability of people to complain to the council ...lockdown is easing and....
Yesterday afternoon after doing some gardening the neighbour (who has a 6 ft plus concrete wall) walked up to my house and knocked on the door -no face mask or social distancing and complained about the bramble on my side of the wall. WHY would that concern her?
Apparently, she found some bramble on her side of the wall and was 'concerned' that over time it would make the sturdy wall collapse. I suggested that bramble on her side needed to be cut then as it was not in my garden (I had this same conversation with her late husband about bramble growing out from under the wall into my garden but he responded "Well cut it" -I was a lot more polite.
I pointed out the the neighbout that I had cut the bramble back each year. I also pointed out that the council, because of her husband, had forbidden me in writing three times from gardening within 1.5m of the wall. That got a half hidden smirk out of her. I pointed out that the council had told she and her husband and myself that someone would be in each year to maintain that part of the garden. I also pointed out that if it had not been for this my planters and tubs of plants that had to be removed by council order would still be there and bramble cut down as it appeared.
My neighbour has reported me to the coumncil for not gardening and for gardening. The council jigs about because the neighbours are private while I am merely a council tenant. I was told by my neighbour as she took most of the time nosing around the garden that she didn't have a big problem with it. I pointed out that it was absolutely none of her business what I did in my garden. I told her that thanks to their complaints I should not have been tidying up that side of the garden and this is where I am glad that I remained polite; she told me that the brambles had grown (d'uh!) and had not been done for some years. I responded: "Yes, it has. I cut it back last year" her response: "No, You didn't" so I therefore told her that I did not care what she thought and that I cut the bramble back each year including last and I had actually taken photos of the area in question for something else that proved this. "No." was the response.
So, the woman enters my property, does not wear a mask and no matter how much I moved she would not maintain social distancing and then tells me how she looks over the wall (there is a step inbuilt by her husband "to keep an eye on neighbours") into mine and the neighbour's in front and tells me I am a liar and despite the evidence (apparently, she pointed out, it was probably 9 years since I was told to not garden there -?!) that gardening has taken place because unchecked bramble after 9 years would have taken over the garden completely (and in fact is cominbg through two neighbours fences INTO my garden).
I therefore said to her: "Out of my hands -I cannot touch it and if you have a problem report it to the council". She said she would. Then she had to come back to ask me my house number!!!
I went indoors and typed an email to the head of Bristol City Council responsible for these things and explained all of this in detail. This is the response:
Good morning
Thank you for your email to Stephen. We have asked the team to investigate and get in touch.
Kind regards
Ellie
Ellie de Abela-Borg | Director’s Assistant to:
Stephen Peacock - Executive Director for Growth and Regeneration
Ellie.de-Abela-Borg@bristol.gov.uk | 07795970396
Bristol City Council | City Hall | BS1 5TR
And so I thought I'd wait to see how fast the council got onto this. At 15:15hrs, Thursday 17th June, 2021 I got a phone call from someone saying they were from the housing department and that they had received "an anonymous report about" my garden. I asked for their name but was told "I'm from the housing department" and I pointed out that if shewas I needed her name for future reference and as on similar occasions she was unwilling to give a name so I pointed out that I would not deal with anonymous callers and put the phone down.
"Anonymous"? Oh, who could have made the complaint? I'm stumped (that was sarcasm).
Someone who has a concrete yard with a few plants in pots and are behind a 6ft high wall has absolutely no business inspecting neighbours gardens and being confrontational about them. And if they have bramble growing in their yard that is none of my business. To confront someone and breach all social distancing rules and not even wear a face mask is a trouble maker.
I will be asking the Council to tell my neighbour that she is not to call at my property again. Also, ANY council official will need to identify themselves clearly to me in future.
this is all noted for the record.
