Woman told to remove planter ‘blocking’ lane for delivery drivers

A WOMAN has been told to remove a planter from outside her home in Henley which she says is necessary to stop vehicles crashing into it.

Sandie Harrow, who lives on the corner of Bell Street and Bell Lane, wants a new, permanent metal bollard installed a few metres from her door.

This comes after her security camera caught a delivery lorry damaging a pot outside her home.

Ms Harrow already has five bollards outside her home, two of which are provided by Oxfordshire County Council and three she has provided to protect the pavement.

She is appealing again for another bollard after she has had “countless” pots broken over the years.

Ms Harrow has also written to the council after they told her to remove a planter she installed to protect her house due it “blocking” the road, which she disputes, and says its removal would completely expose her house.

She said: “I’m absolutely holding out for not moving it. There is no way that it is on the highway.

“Because of the incident where it was moved by a delivery van, it has just got horrendous. Had there been someone on the pavement or a child running ahead to the nursery school, which is in the lane, there could have been a serious accident.

“If you have got a van coming around this corner and the child is not listening and there’s a lot of noise going on, they don’t know where the noise is coming from.

“That incident is a prime example of where it could be a problem.

“I’ve got a picture of a mother and a four-year-old almost being pinned to the wall by a dust cart.”

Ms Harrow, who owns clothing shop Stocks in Bell Street, said she first experienced the problem with lorry drivers about 10 years ago and the problem has worsened in recent years.

The house was also damaged in the Nineties when a vehicle crashed into it. Her car has also been damaged.

The county council, the highways authority, has offered to install a plastic bollard but would charge her £1,400 but Ms Harrow says this would be unsuitable.

She said: “The bollard I’ve got outside the house is perfect to protect the pavement but it does not protect the corner of the house. I need another one and I’d much rather have a proper metal one there.

“It’s appalling that these vans are almost driving straight on to the pavement.

“We just did not have a problem 10 years ago with people trying to come out of the lane and turning left but now we do.

“I’m living day to day with this problem and what’s more, it’s not just me who is affected. What happens if a child is killed?”

In an email to the council, Ms Harrow has requested a meeting to address the installation of the bollard.

She added: “I have sent countless emails and the other important thing is the tripping hazard.

“The next dust cart that runs over it breaks it up again and the tripping hazard is horrendous.

“I see the delivery vans
10 times a day. It’s constant and it can only get worse because so much is bought on the internet.”

A spokesman for the council said: “Initially, there were five or six large planters along the lane, to the rear of the property, which caused significant narrowing and posed challenges for vehicles. We visited the
resident personally and sent several letters requesting the removal of these planters. Fortunately, the resident has now removed them.

“However, a new planter has since been placed in front of their property on highway land and it protrudes slightly from the side of their property, causing issues for vehicles entering the lane. We have again written to her, requesting its removal.

“While we completely understand the resident’s desire to protect their property, we have received complaints about this planter and, therefore, must take appropriate action.

“She had previously engaged with us regarding the installation of a bollard here. I believe our officers met the lady on site again and chatted through with her the bollard design, exact location and provided her with a revised quote. In these circumstances we would look for the householder to provide the funding.

“Bell Lane undergoes a biannual inspection, last undertaken in June and the next is due in December. Any issues that meet our safety criteria will be scheduled for repair.”