Ms Gregory has lived in her home in Orchard Close, Clowne, for ten years and claims that the Bolsover District Council (BDC) wants access to the land behind her property to build houses. The Derbyshire resident has said she will fight any attempt by the council to remove her from her home, saying that when the council calls her she always ends the call by warning them to “get ready”.
Sharon Gregory said she ordered Bolsover City Council officers to leave her home after visiting her under false premise.
The pensioner said her yard is one of the busiest “hedgehog highways” in the area and claimed the two council officials came to her under the guise of concern for the local wildlife.
She said: “They sat down and an officer had a letter with her and they were talking about the hedgehogs and she said ‘it’s not something we get involved in but arrangements can be made and they are safe for now’.”
However, Mrs. Gregory grew suspicious and asked them outright if they planned to demolish her house and the adjacent bungalows to access the land behind her property.
Mrs. Gregory is a local Clowne Parish Councilor with knowledge of the area, which is why she suspected the council wanted to demolish her property.
After questioning, the two officers confirmed her suspicions.
Mrs. Gregory recalled: “I was stunned and I said ‘well it’s in your best interest for me to die, isn’t it?'”
The council own land near Orchard Close and want to build houses in the area, but the only point of access is at Rood Lane and the council has been unable to prove ownership of the property.
The municipality tried to buy Rood Land in 2019 with a mandatory purchase order (CPO), but that fell through.
This isn’t the first time Mrs Gregory has challenged the council as she has used her time on the parish council to deal with dangerous traffic around the nearby Clowe Junior School.
She said: “Now they expect me to come out of my bungalow to compound the problem. What do they expect me to do?”
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Ms Gregory also said that the local school takes children to see the hedgehogs, and that they are now concerned about habitat loss for the local wildlife, saying: “The children are so upset.”
The council said it still believes it owns the part of Rood Lane that gives access to the land they own, but “can find no evidence of this”.
They have also confirmed that as part of the “usual consultation process” it has offered Ms Gregory alternative accommodation and a financial package should she decide to move.
Mrs. Gregory declined the offer, despite the council’s offer to fund both moves and new carpet for the move.
Neighbors whose home on Rood Land is right next to the land entrance, Eric and Jenny Blackwell, have also said they are concerned about the council.
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Ms Blackwell said: “Ultimately, Clowne is in the 21st century, but we live with 19th century infrastructure and it can’t handle all this extra traffic they’re foisting on people.
“We sometimes have ambulances that are blocked and fire engines can’t get through, putting lives at risk.”
A spokesperson for Bolsover Council said: “We understand that these types of situations are distressing and we always speak to those affected to address any concerns and help with potential relocation costs.
“A Mandatory Purchase Order (CPO) is the last resort and we tried to work with Ms. Gregory throughout the process.”
The spokesperson continued: “We are short of properties in the Bolsover district and with over 1,000 people on our waiting list for housing and government targets we need to meet.
“We must do everything we can with the resources at our disposal to meet the needs of our local communities and provide them with suitable, quality accommodation.”