A Bridge of Allan woman says she has been left unable to use her garden after the council refused to cut the grass for more than two years.
Angel Robertson, who has been living in a wheelchair after a bout of sickness in 2010 saw her lose feeling from the waist down, has accused Stirling Council of threatening her over her tenancy due to the condition of her garden at the property in Cornton Crescent.
She has lived at the council property since March 2011 after her disability forced her to move out of her previous flat and says that gardening work has previously been carried out by the council in her time there.
But Angel has now been subject to visits and letters from council officials over the length of the grass at the property.
A letter seen by the Observer, dated on June 29 this year, said council housing managers would look to arrange “remedial work” at the property to bring the garden up to standard and Angel would be charged for the work - despite her being unable to work and in receipt of benefits.
The letter also threatens that Angel may be found in breach of her tenancy agreement and “action” taken against her over the issue.
She insists that she has previously asked for help in maintaining the garden at the house and had been told she had been added to the list to receive support from the council years ago.
She told the Observer: “I’m disabled from the waist down and I’ve got no family or friends that can help me with it.
“I know the garden is quite bad and I’ve been asking to get on the list and been told I’ve been on it before but they’ve just not come to do it and now they’ve become quite threatening and insinuated that I’ll lose my tenancy if it isn’t sorted.
“The grass is quite tall next to the ramp and the hedge is now coming through the door and it means I can’t even get to my shed at the bottom of the garden because the path is so overgrown.
“My disability affects every part of my life and I was in hospital for five and a half months and that care cost me everything, including my home, but the council moved me here and said I would be here for life and alterations would be made.
“I’ve filled out quite a few application forms, including two in the last month, and been fighting for years on this but it’s made no difference and they don’t seem to care.
“They know that I’m living hand to mouth and don’t have the money for the garden, but they just give you excuses or you get the run around getting told someone will call you back and they never do, they just don’t want to know.”
In response, a Stirling Council spokesperson said: “We wouldn’t comment on individual tenants but always do our best to bring issues raised by residents to a positive conclusion.”
