She spent three years and £50,000 fighting her local council for the right to walk through her own back gate.
But after winning a legal battle against Derbyshire County Council over access to her home, Helene Ball now has a fresh fight on her hands after giant concrete ‘Lego’ blocks were dumped outside her property.
The retired teacher, 81, accused the council of pettiness after it put the 2ft blocks along a narrow wall near her home after her legal victory.
She first took action against the council after discovering one morning in April 2023 that a metal fence had been cemented over a 98cm gap in her rear garden wall.
The gap leads into an adjoining council-owned car park, but Mrs Ball, who has lived at the house in Matlock since 1967, said she and her family had used the route unopposed for more than 40 years.
Mrs Ball argued that her continued access amounted to prescriptive rights to access the route and a judge later ruled in her favour – with the access now being added to the deed for the land.
The council was also ordered by the courts to pay Mrs Ball’s costs of around £50,000 and to ensure her pedestrian and vehicular access is not impeded again.
But Mrs Ball was shocked to then discover 54 huge ‘Lego-style’ blocks placed outside her home.
The 2ft-high bricks line the narrow road behind her property and the grass verge alongside her garden wall.
Helene Ball, who won a £50,000 battle with council chiefs over access to her home is facing a fresh fight after giant ‘Lego’ blocks were dumped outside
The 54 concrete bricks line the street outside Mrs Ball’s home in Matlock, Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Council admitted it had been ‘unreasonable’ to erect the original green fence at the centre of the dispute
Mrs Ball, who has two grown-up children and four grandchildren, said: ‘It’s just so petty of the council to do this after they lost the case, but they have been spiteful from the start.
‘The judge said I had a right of access by foot and by car to the rear of my house.
‘However, the council have made it impossible to drive a car up the road and turn round, it’s ridiculous.’
The fence panel was installed two weeks after the second anniversary of the death of Mrs Ball’s husband, Brian, and was viewed as a ‘completely unnecessary act of aggression’ by her family.
The gap led to a car park which residents were allowed to use at weekend but it closed three years ago while the council tried to sell the land for houses.
The court ruling from Judge Robert Brown said legal representation from the council was ‘surprisingly combative’ given its ‘limited evidence’ and ‘unsubstantiated assertions’.
Judge Brown found parts of the legal representation for the council ‘totally irrelevant’, ‘most unhelpful’ and even described the litigation as ‘pugnacious’.
Now, Mrs Ball is preparing for another legal battle to force the council to remove the blocks.
Her son David, 50, who has been carrying out legal work on behalf of his mother, said: ‘The council have not acted in the spirit of the law.
‘Our legal team are investigating whether the council are interfering with access to my mum’s home.
‘Basically my mum won her case but the council have made it impossible for her to use the access road which she has used since she moved here in the 1960s.’
The fence which started the three-year legal dispute about access
The 2ft-high bricks line the narrow road behind her property and the grass verge alongside her garden wall.
Derbyshire County Council admitted it had been ‘unreasonable’ to erect the original green fence at the centre of the dispute.
A spokesman said: ‘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.’
The installation of the fence and legal challenge started under the previous Conservative-controlled councl, but the continuation and final tribunal court hearing took place under Reform UK control.
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