Frustration at blocked garage access

A woman from Ashford is frustrated because access to her garage has been blocked off for four months by a housing association, despite the fact it is privately owned.

Diane Wilmott, 57, has not been able to use her parking space in Lynsted Close, Stanhope, since a car reversed into her neighbour’s garage in early November last year.

Her neighbour’s garage is managed by the housing association Moat, who blocked off the access following the incident to assess the structural damage, but also blocked off Mrs Wilmott’s too.

Mrs Wilmott said: “It’s private, it belongs to me. I can’t park outside my garage.”

During the i ncident, Mrs Wilmott’s car was damaged. She added: “The concrete all came down and damaged my car.”

The vehicle was scratched and had to be resprayed, which Mrs Wilmott had to pay £150 excess on her insurance to fix.

Her neighbour’s garage is yet to be fixed, and Mrs Wilmott is now having to park elsewhere on her road instead.

She added: “I still can’t get into my garage to get anything. I want to get some things done. It’s just an inconvenience.”

Mrs Wilmott now expects that her car insurance will increase this year, but hopes to have a successful counter-claim to reverse this.

Her neighbour had previously spoken to Moat about the situation, who said they would send someone out to look at the damage, with no indication of a time frame.

Mrs Wilmott has also spoken to Moat about the situation. She said: “They seem to think it’s not affecting my garage. It’s beyond a joke.”

A spokesman for Moat said: “Safety is our number one pri- ority and until we can be sure about the safety of residents, these garages will remain out of use.

“However, our contractors were on site on Monday morning and have agreed construction timelines with residents, with works expected to start this week.”

What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk

Diane Wilmott’s garage is blocked off