Council 'installed flowerbed in front of homeowners driverway'

A council has come under fire after it planted a flowerbed in front of a resident's home, making their driveway unusable. 

The bizarre scene was spotted on Sutherland Road in Walthamstow, east London.

It comes after the London borough of Waltham Forest embarked on a series of improvements to try and give the local area a greener appeal. 

A post on Facebook read: 'New roadworks/landscaping on Sutherland Road that make it impossible for one resident to park on their own drive. Make it make sense.' 

But a spokesperson for the Council told MailOnline that without a dropped kerb there was no right of access - explaining why the flowerbed has been constructed.

Phase One of the Council's improvements included introducing new speed bumps and adding continuous footways and blended crossings to the area.

Construction began last December with footway build-outs and garden beds added in front of properties.

This particular driveway was built at some point between September 2020 and August 2022. 

But even in the most recent images of the house there are marked parking bays in front of it.

There has also never been at that precise location a dropped kerb, which home owners can apply for via their local council.

A dropped kerb, or vehicle crossover, allows someone to access the front of their property with a car.

Driving a vehicle over the kerbed paving or grass verge without a properly constructed crossover can cause damage to the footway or verge.

Those who flout the rules and do so without the correct permissions can be served with a formal notice to desist, and then fined up to £1,000 if they still do not comply.

There are also strict rules about the size of the front garden if homeowners are planning a dropped kerb, with it needing to be 4.8m deep.

It is unclear what has happened in this case, but the fact the bed has been created in front of the house suggests no dropped kerb exists there.

A description of the work being carried out on Waltham Forest's website describes Sutherland Road as having 'an important role in the industrial heritage of the Upper Lea Valley'.

It is also said to have 'undergone a large redevelopment in recent years is now part of a new mixed neighbourhood of residential developments and growing businesses'.

The website adds: 'Sutherland Road is also part of the recently Greater London Authority (GLA) accredited Blackhorse Lane Creative Enterprise Zone called the Blackhorse Collective.

'With most of the residential development work complete we've developed proposals, supported by funding from the GLA's Housing Zone programme to improve the overall look and feel of the area, encourage walking and cycling, and improve access for people with mobility aids and pushchairs.'

MailOnline has contacted Waltham Forest Borough Council for further comment.