Pensioners who use wheelbarrows to carry shopping to front doors beg council for more parking

The dozen or so retirees of Wren Park Close, Ridgeway, Derbyshire, live in a cul-de-sac where a spacious lawn and three small trees means several of 10 bungalows are inaccessible directly to cars, fire engines or ambulances.

In 2019, North East Derbyshire District Council offered a £280,000 plan to fell the trees and tarmac the grass to give the properties seven more parking spaces. But, because of private worries it would invite “traffic,” “footfall” and “prostitution” to the village, they objected to the scheme with a letter signed by eight households.

Now, however, they are asking the council to come back to the table and see the plan through after seeing how emergency vehicles could not easily reach a resident’s door during a medical episode in the past year.

Resident David Landall, 66, said: “It doesn’t seem serious until you realise if there was a fire or an ambulance needed to get in there is no way to reach some the bungalows. There was a medical incident where the crews had to stretcher them out to the ambulance.

“It’s led to some people moving away because it affects their quality of life. Once you move into a bungalow you should think ‘well, this is where I’m stopping’, but instead theses old age pensioners have had to go through the stress of moving house again.

“You might think it’s bad to cut the tree down for it, but I would rather cut a tree down to potentially save somebody’s life.”

One woman, Pat Crapper, was even pictured using a wheelbarrow to get her shopping in from the car, something that could be avoided with a nearby parking space.

The residents have signed a new letter in favour of the plan with more households than the first saying they didn’t want it, and are asking the council to reconsider.

NEDDC did not formally provide a comment when asked by The Star, instead advising the residents to contact the council, something the pensioners say they have tried several times. District councillor Carolyn Renwick also did not reply when approached for comment by The Star.