Kath wins battle to move lamppost – after 40 years
It may have taken 40 years, but Shropshire grandmother Kath Jones has finally won her battle to have a lamppost removed from the middle of her drive – at a cost of £500.
The problem lamppost was put up outside Mrs Jones's home in Christ Church Drive, Bayston Hill, in the 1970s, at a time when houses were being built in the area.
At that time, her late husband Albert pleaded with the authorities to shift the lamppost across a metre or two, as he had already laid the foundations for a garage.
But his pleas fell on deaf ears and ever since then the obstructive lamppost has been a real headache for Mrs Jones and her family.
Mrs Jones has hit her car against it six times when reversing out of her drive.
She said: "My car has got lots of scratches on it. When you reverse out there is literally a two inch gap to get it past or it catches.
She said: "We have begged the council for 40 years to remove it.
"About two or three years ago we asked and they said it would cost £1,250 and I said no way, we didn't ask for it to be put there.
"I've not been able to get the drive done in all these years because all the quotes I get say they won't do it until the lamppost is gone."
After years of badgering Bayston Hill Parish Council, Mrs Jones finally offered to pay £500 to get the lamppost moved – which was accepted.
She said: "It grieved me to hand over the money.
"I'm a pensioner – you don't know how long it took me to raise that money."
Work is due to get under way next week to move the lamppost off Mrs Jones's drive.
Her son, Glyn Jones, 43, said: "We have been asking for years and years and nothing has ever been done.
"We had to put money in their hand for the work to commence."
Emma Kay, Bayston Hill Parish Council clerk, said the situation had been brought to her attention two months ago and work was to begin shortly.
Mrs Jones said her sons are going to pay for her drive to be resurfaced once the lamppost has been moved.
