Autos

I was banned from parking vintage motorhome on my own DRIVEWAY – I’m fuming.. it took me 14 painstaking years to restore


A DAD has been left fuming after he was banned from parking his vintage motorhome on his own driveway.

Council bosses claimed it was “damaging the area”.

Mike Perkins has spent 14 years restoring his 1972 Ford Transit motorhome

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Mike Perkins has spent 14 years restoring his 1972 Ford Transit motorhomeCredit: SWNS
Worcester City Council says Mike can't keep the Ford Transit on his own driveway

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Worcester City Council says Mike can’t keep the Ford Transit on his own drivewayCredit: SWNS
Council bosses say the van is an eyesore

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Council bosses say the van is an eyesoreCredit: SWNS

Mike Perkins has spent 14 years restoring his beloved 1972 Ford Transit Landliner CI, which he calls his “pride and joy”.

The 63-year-old kept the motorhome on his driveway outside his end-terraced home in Worcester but has now been ordered to move it following complaints.

The dad-of-three has received a letter from Worcester City Council saying the van “damages the amenity of the area”.

Mike said: “My initial thoughts were this is ‘David and Goliath’ and I’m David.

“If someone said to you, you could not park on your own drive, what would you do?

“I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. I can’t understand the lengths they are going to.”

His immediate neighbours called it “ridiculous” while another hailed the classic camper a “local landmark”.

The council said it had received “numerous complaints about the appearance of the front garden” due to the “dilapidated vehicle”.

Council officials said they received the first complaint in August 2020 and confirmed the van was “having a detrimental effect on local amenity”.

Mike was issued with a notice, under section 2015 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, ordering him to comply with the order by November 20 last year.

I live in a motorhome full-time – it’s like a five-star hotel… there’s so many hidden surprises

He has appealed the order and will represent himself when the civil case heard in court next month.

Mike added: “The irony is that during its restoration, I received much support from passers-by.

“This project is now more about the right to park your own vehicle on your own driveway.”

A council spokesperson said: “We spoke to the owner about the problem but were unable to reach an agreement for the area to be tidied.

“Council officers issued a tidy-up notice which required the vehicle and trailer to be removed from the driveway and the waste to be tidied up.

“The owner has made an appeal against the tidy-up notice and we are awaiting the outcome of it.

“This matter has been handled under normal council procedures.

“No individual councillors are involved in decisions to progress enforcement cases.”

The Sun Online has contacted the council for additional comment.

It comes after a woman who lives in a luxury motorhome resembling a five-star hotel has revealed its many hidden surprises.

While a lucky man won an £80,000 motorhome for just £15 after buying a single raffle ticket.

Elsewhere, a new mum has told how she and her partner built a camper van into a “studio flat on wheels” using videos on YouTube.

Mike's immediate neighbours have branded the council's strategy as 'ridiculous'

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Mike’s immediate neighbours have branded the council’s strategy as ‘ridiculous’Credit: SWNS
Council officials say they received the first complaint in August 2020 and confirmed the van was 'having a detrimental effect on local amenity'

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Council officials say they received the first complaint in August 2020 and confirmed the van was ‘having a detrimental effect on local amenity’Credit: SWNS



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