Disabled pensioner left ‘virtually housebound’ after council closes layby

A disabled pensioner says she has been left “virtually housebound” after council workers closed off an unofficial layby outside her home.

Jenny Maxted agreed to stop using the land on Stone Street in Stelling Minnis as a turning circle in October following safety concerns.

She continued to briefly leave her car there while opening her front gate to access her driveway - but can no longer do so following the installation of bollards by Kent County Council (KCC).

The 79-year-old says she is now scared to leave home because she would have to stop on the 60mph road before reversing into her drive.

KCC says the work was necessary because leaving vehicles on the verge created a “safety risk”.

But Ms Maxted - who had previously used the land as a turning circle for almost five decades - has described the changes as an “immense waste of money”.

“When I used to come home, I used to pull into the layby, open the gate and reverse into the drive,” she said.

“Now, I’ve got to stay on the road, get out of my car, open my gate, get back in my car, and reverse in.

“I’m disabled and they’re now making me go out on this dangerous road - they fly down here.

“I’ve been left virtually housebound.”

Before the three-day work started earlier this week, Ms Maxted says the only other people to use the layby were friends or people stopping to buy fresh eggs she sells from her home.

She believes KCC needs to concentrate on lowering the speed limit rather than making changes to the land outside her property.

The work came just a week after two people were taken to a London hospital with life-changing injuries following a serious crash.

In May, a woman in her 70s was freed from her vehicle and airlifted to hospital after her car crashed into a tree.

“The speed of cars flying down here is awful,” Ms Maxted said.

In a statement, a KCC spokesman said the authority “has a duty to keep the highway safe and free from obstruction”.

“Stone Street is an unlit 60mph road, and our investigations found that vehicles parking on the verge were creating a safety risk for other road users, and causing access issues for a neighbouring property,” they said.

“Despite previous engagement with those involved, the issue has not been resolved.

"The area is not a designated layby.

“It was originally a grass verge that had been covered with hardcore by an unknown person and used for parking.

"To address these safety concerns, we have removed the hardcore, reinstated the grass verge and installed bollards to prevent further parking.

“This action has been taken to protect road users, maintain access and ensure the highway can be used safely as intended.”