Retired teacher dubbed ‘Gangster Granny’ wins legal battle with council over concrete lego blocks
The ruling comes after large, lego-like concrete blocks appeared along the road to prevent people from accessing it in vehicles
A retired teacher has earned the nickname ‘Gangster Granny’ after winning a legal battle with her local council.
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Helene Ball, 81, has lived in her home in Matlock in Derbyshire since 1967. Through her garden gate lies a county council car park, which has been closed off to the public.
Large, lego brick like concrete blocks have appeared on the site to prevent people from driving into it.
In April 2023, Helene was shocked to find the council had taken further action around her premises.
“I’d been out shopping and when I came home, my neighbour said ‘Do you know Derbyshire County Council have concreted a metal fence in front of your garden gate?’” Helene explains.
“By the time I got home, the concrete had set, solid. At first I was angry, but then I just laughed.”
But now, after a three-year legal with the council, Helene won her case and Derbyshire County Council will now have to pay costs of around £40,000 and ensure that access to her home is not impeded again.
'Extremely stressful'
Helene told LBC it has been a tough fight though. “It’s been very stressful” she sighed. “Extremely stressful. I’ve lost sleep over it.”
Despite winning the case, more of the concrete blocks then appeared outside of her home, although not impeding the access to her garden gate.
“According to the council they’re to stop anyone parking on the grass, which is absolutely ridiculous,” Helene exclaims.
“At first I thought they were just reminding that was my passage to the access road and at 81 I needed guiding!”
Whilst it has been a stressful time for Helene and her family, her triumph over the council has earned her the nickname…Gangster Granny!
“Someone made the comment online and decided that’s what they wanted to call me” chuckled the formidable pensioner.
“But I do like it,” She admits, with a cool delivery that Marlon Brando would envy.
Derbyshire County Council told us in a statement “We recognise this situation has brought distress to Mrs Ball and remain sorry for the upset caused when the council secured the site in 2023. We acknowledged that our fencing had blocked access into the site's neighbouring gardens and apologised.
"The council has consistently accepted that Mrs Ball has access rights over its land. The council has no current plans to sell the land and intends to retain it for its own use. Our intention has never been to cause Mrs Ball distress, and we hope the matter can be resolved as soon as possible once the court issues its final judgment.”
“I’ve never broken the law in my life," Helene explains. “The only time I’ve broken any rules was going out of Sainsbury’s car park the wrong way!"