I’m shocked after ‘jobsworth’ officials ordered me to remove my garden bench
A DAD was stunned after "jobsworth" officials ordered him to remove his "harmless" garden bench.
Steve Owens installed the seat in the communal area outside his council flat for him and his neighbours to rest on.
But he was speechless when he was handed a "ridiculous" note telling him to remove it or the local authority would take it away and sell it.
The council blamed "health and safety concerns" for the abrupt order, but Steve described this reasoning as "ludicrous".
The 60-year-old, who suffers from health issues which affect his mobility, said: "I am a disabled man. Sometimes I have bad days and I can't walk very far, and I'd go sit on it, especially in the hot weather.
"I liked to rest there when I was tending to my flowers."
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Steve fixed the two-seater bench to the outside wall of his flat, away from the gas pipe, to stop it being stolen.
But when he returned home last week, he found a group of his neighbours in the communal garden asking him: "Have you seen this?"
"I read the notice stuck to the bench and I said 'you've got to be joking'," he said.
"I left it there and everyone took photos of it because it was so ridiculous.
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"It's a two-seater bench that someone could pick up with one hand.
"I was only trying to make the communal area look nice. It's ludicrous.
"There's only one council bench for 60 residents. Mine was there for everybody to enjoy."
Dad-of-two Steve phoned Poole Housing Partnership, which manages his Dorset building, and was told the bench posed a risk to the gas pipe on the wall.
But he insists there was were no healthy and safety issues at all.
The retired builder said: "The block manager told me, 'you've attached it to a gas pipe'.
"I said, 'I'm not stupid - it's attached to the wall'.
"He then said it was illegal to attach anything to the walls so I told him he had better go around and get rid of all the hanging flower baskets."
The notice on the bench read: "You have failed to remove this item from the communal areas of the property as required.
"PHP, on behalf of the council, will remove this item from the property if you have not removed it.
"PHP intends to exercise the right to sell or dispose of the item."
Angry residents flooded social media with complaints about the "jobsworth" Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council's decision.
Bryony Hide, whose mum lives in the complex, said: "There is absolutely nothing wrong with this bench.
"It's on a raised part of grass outside his windows that only him and his friends use.
"The council and housing are just jobsworths. This is causing no harm or issues at all."
A BCP Council spokesperson said: "The bench in question was placed in the communal grounds without permission.
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"It has been removed, but no eviction notice has been served in relation to this issue.
"BCP has provided wooden benches elsewhere in the communal grounds at Vale Close to facilitate the mixing and socialising of tenants."
