Pensioners 'heartbroken' after council busybodies BAN them from displaying small hanging baskets on their own balcony
WATCH: Biggest issues Britons are facing with their local areas
|GB NEWS
Derek Lee said the balcony display gave the couple a sense of 'purpose' - but they have now been forced to axe it
Don't Miss
Most Read
Trending on GB News
A retired Nottinghamshire couple have been left devastated after their local council ordered them to remove their much-loved plants from their balcony.
Derek and Julie Lee from Maryland Court in Stapleford had displayed an array of flowers, plants and hanging baskets from their balcony for over two decades before receiving the order from Broxtowe Borough Council.
Mr Lee said: "We've had people from all over the estate comment on how pretty the balcony is and it lifts your heart.
"And now you look at it now, it's heartbreaking."
Derek and Julie Lee had displayed an array of flowers, plants and hanging baskets from their balcony for over two decades (file photo)
|GETTY
Although the council said it was unable to comment on individual cases, it said that it had a legal duty to ensure communal areas were "safe from hazards".
Mr Lee revealed: "My wife and I received a letter on Monday from Broxtowe Borough Council telling me that all the flowers that we've grown and put around this balcony have all got to be moved by Wednesday.
"I'm not happy. If you look at it now, there's absolutely nothing here to interest anybody. It doesn't lift your well-being at all.
"It gave us a purpose. It really did give you a purpose.
"You come out here and you've got something to do, and you've got pride in what you was doing."
Broxtowe Borough Council affirmed they had a legal duty to ensure communal areas were 'safe from hazards'
|Mrs Lee said she was left "gobsmacked" after reading the written order from the local authority.
The floral display enthusiast said: "We don't understand why you can say a plant or a hanging basket is a fire hazard.
"That does not make sense to me when they've been here all these years."
Broxtowe Borough Council said: "In line with fire risk assessments that are conducted on our blocks, we have a legal responsibility to ensure that communal areas such as stairwells, landings and balconies are safe from hazards.
COUNCIL ROWS - READ MORE:
Mrs Lee said she was left 'gobsmacked' after reading the written order from the local authority
|GETTY
"This includes bicycles, doormats, prams, pushchairs, plants, furniture etc.
"If items are placed in communal areas or on paths that are escape routes, we will request that they are removed, as they could cause a fire safety hazard."
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, local authorities are responsible for ensuring communal spaces are kept free from obstructions.
Judith Seeley from Patrington, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, found herself in a similar predicament just weeks ago after her council ordered her to remove plant pots outside her home because they were "obstructing a public path".
The Yorkshirewoman, 58, fumed: "It's frustrating when you try to enhance the village.
"You've got to abide by the rules but it is a shame, it just takes one person to complain."
The council said the plant pots risked causing a "safety hazard to people using the path, including children on bikes, people with wheelchairs, pushchairs and people with limited vision".
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter