Millionaire’s cars now blocking bin collections

MAN cave millionaire Graham Wildin’s neighbours in the Forest of Dean have been threatened with losing their doorstep rubbish collections because of parked cars causing an obstruction on their street.

Weeks after he parked his Bentleys and a number of other classic cars on the road, Forest of Dean District Council says the bin lorries cannot get through.

And shocked residents in the Cinderford street have been sent a letter to say if it doesn’t improve they could be asked to take their bins to the end of their road instead of leaving them out at the top of their driveways.

Some homeowners, many of them elderly, have already missed bin collections and cannot understand why the police and the council cannot sort it out rather than make them suffer.

“I could hardly believe it when I read the letter,” said one stunned homeowner. “The council say they cannot afford to keep sending the binmen back when the road is obstructed.

“But instead of moving the obstruction they are going to make people take their bins to the end of the street. It just doesn’t make sense. If parked cars are causing an obstruction they should be moved.”

Mr Wildin has been involved in a long and complicated planning battle with the council over a backyard leisure centre he built without planning permission in 2014.

A judge gave him until March 10, 2022 to dismantle his man cave containing a cinema, bowling alley, casino and bar or face jail.

Shortly after the deadline passed Mr Wildin, pictured, moved his classic car collection, including several Bentleys, from his large garage and parked them outside homes on Meendhurst Road, Cinderford.

He told neighbours he needed the space to comply with the court order.

Upset residents struggling to find a parking space were assured that it was perfectly legal as long as the vehicles were taxed and insured. Seven weeks after the court deadline passed it is unclear if the man cave has been cleared but there are still some classic cars and a Bentley on the road.

Last week residents received the letter saying their doorstep collections could be dropped.

“There have been several occasions recently when our waste and environmental contractor Biffa have been unable to gain access to properties on your road on collection days. (Tuesdays),” said the letter from the Forest of Dean District Council.

“This is because parked cars have blocked access to what is an already a narrow road. As a consequence, waste and recycling collections have been missed.

“On those occasions, the Biffa crews have usually returned a day or two later and have attempted to make the collections again at additional cost to the council. However, access continues to be a problem and so the police have been notified of the situation.”

The letter goes on to say that that problem can be prevented if residents ensure that parked cars do not block the road on collection days.

“If the situation continues, we cannot guarantee that Biffa crews will return for missed collections and we may then need to ask all residents to take their waste bins and containers to the end of the road to receive a collection.”

A spokeman for the The Forest of Dean District Council said: ““Parked vehicles in Meendhurst Road have unfortunately stopped waste vehicles from accessing properties to empty their bins.

“We are working with the relevant authorities, our waste collector Biffa and residents to find a solution as soon as possible.”

Gloucestershire Police and Mr Wildin were contacted for further comment. Mr Wildin has previously argued that the decision was wrong or that he could not afford to demolish the man cave.