By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-21 10:30:51 | Updated at 2026-09-21 11:31:26
1 hour ago
A council has been ordered to pay £50,000 after blocking a pensioner's access to her own garden.
Helene Ball, 81, from Matlock, emerged victorious from the legal dispute with Derbyshire County Council.
The former teacher took the council to court after an incident in April 2023.
Council operatives arrived at her home in April 2023 and cemented a metal fencing panel into position, effectively blocking a gap in the wall that had served as her garden entrance for decades.
Ms Ball launched a legal challenge, presenting evidence to a first-tier tribunal that she had used the access point for more than 60 years.
The judge accepted her case, establishing a formal right of way across the site and ruling decisively against the local authority.
The dispute had been ongoing for more than three years.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Ms Ball said: "I have taught nine, 10- and 11-year-olds all my life, but I never expected the council to act so babyish. It has been beyond childish."
A council has been ordered to pay £50,000 after blocking a pensioner's access to her own garden
She described the authority's conduct as "absolutely shocking behaviour."
She told the Telegraph: "They did everything they could to bully me. I dealt with bullies at school and then found myself being bullied again. They tried to put us off but they messed with the wrong ones."
Ms Ball said the saga had caused her more than three years of anxiety, but expressed satisfaction at the outcome: "Now we have proven they blocked our rights."
Although the wire fencing was taken down within 12 months, Ms Ball could not drive from her property to the street for the entire duration of the legal proceedings.
The council has since established an alternative access route for her through the site, which it is currently marketing for a small residential development.
In his ruling, Judge Robert Brown noted that some evidence submitted by the council was "surprisingly combative" in tone.
The council's previous Conservative administration began the original blocking of the gateway and the ensuing legal action.
It ultimately reached a tribunal under Reform UK control.
A statement issued by the council read: "Derbyshire County Council is aware of the matter referred to and notes that it has been the subject of legal proceedings which were instigated by Mrs Helene Ball.
"The Council acknowledged that it was unreasonable to erect the fence across Mrs Ball’s and her neighbours’ boundary at the time and apologised for any distress caused. It was in the process of negotiating access for Mrs Ball to her property when legal proceedings were initiated.
"It would not be appropriate to comment further on matters that have been considered by the court other than that the Council has a duty to safeguard its legal interests in public assets, including land that it owns and manages on behalf of residents.
"Where issues arise concerning council-owned land or access rights, the Council has a responsibility to consider the matter carefully and, where appropriate, defend any action. Its actions are always guided by its statutory duties."
