An elderly couple from Worcester could be forced to pay a £1,000 bill after complaints were made about their gardening. Hilary Garner, 82, and her husband Christopher, 84, spent over £700 decorating a 3x3 metre patch of land next to their home in Coxs Close, Hallow, Worcester. They planted colourful aubrieta, eucalyptus, cherry trees and a big acer to brighten up the verge, but were stunned when Ground Solutions UK Ltd, working on behalf of the developers, sent them letters banning them from 'encroaching' on the land. They have now been ordered to 'fix' the area or face a £953.40 bill from contractors to carry out the work.
Grandparents' Gardening Project Sparks Dispute
Hilary, a retired lecturer, said: 'It feels like a witch-hunt, we can’t understand it. Ours was the last house to be built and we were assured that we were going to have wild flowers and plants all along there. We’ve got nothing, so we thought we’d go along and do it ourselves. This little bit of ground is supposed to be communal, supposed to run along the hedge with our neighbours.' The couple decided to transform the land into a community garden space after moving into the estate in August 2024. Hilary added: 'Our neighbours love it, they think it looks good. A young couple said “the more lovely flowers the better”. I can’t see how that little bit of land is causing problems. If someone wants to bring their chairs and have a picnic there, then brilliant.'
Letters and Threats of Legal Action
Hilary explained: 'We’ve been getting these letters since September 2025. We think a neighbour down the road has complained. We asked who the land belongs to, as we pay £320-a-year for this maintenance. Who are we paying that to? It doesn’t interfere with anybody at all, so we’re absolutely amazed to receive letters telling us that if we don’t take it all down they will and we’ll be charged £1,000.' The couple were given a deadline of June 22 to remove the plants, but have refused. Christopher, a retired insurance claims expert, claims they are 'standing their ground' and wants to see 'if [the company] have the nerve' to rip out their plants. He said: 'I thought everybody would be quite pleased, the neighbours certainly are, but that’s not the case with the company who have been contracted to do the grass cutting.'
Family and Developer Respond
The couple’s son Nathan said: 'My parents understand that the land isn’t theirs. I see it as guerrilla gardening which should be celebrated. It encourages wildlife and improves a bare grassy corner. The world has gone mad.' Mike Pett, managing director of Ground Solutions, confirmed that the company has written to the couple on five occasions. Mr Pett said: 'This approach has been taken following concerns and complaints raised by residents of the development. The land in question remains in the ownership of the developer and is due to be transferred to the Residents’ Management Company in due course. The use of this land is governed by the covenants contained within the transfer documentation completed upon the purchase of each property. These covenants provide that all managed open spaces within the development are intended for recreational purposes only, and the cultivation or planting of such areas without prior authorisation is not permitted. Our reason for issuing repeated correspondence has been to provide Mr and Mrs Garner with every reasonable opportunity to resolve the matter voluntarily. Our preference is to avoid the need to instruct contractors to remove the trees and plants at additional cost. The matter can be resolved simply by relocating the planting from the managed land onto their own property.' Mr Pett claims that, despite best attempts, the company and the couple have not yet been able to reach a resolution. He added that they hope to find 'a practical and amicable solution.'
