Dad allowed to park on his own car after winning the fight with the council

A dad has won a ‘David and Goliath’ battle against a council to park his vintage caravan called ‘Bunty’ in his driveway. Mike Perkins spent 14 years restoring his beloved 1972 Ford Transit Landliner CI so he could take his family on camping holidays.

The 63-year-old kept the motorhome in the driveway outside his Worcester home but was ordered to move it following several complaints. Last month, the father-of-three received a letter from Worcester City Council saying his “damaged” van was “damaging the amenity of the area”.

He was served with a notice under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 prohibiting him from parking the van and two other vehicles in front of his house. Mike removed a Mini truck and trailer from his property, but appealed against the ban on Bunty parking in his driveway.

He was due to appear at Worcester Civil Court on Tuesday but has now won his ‘David and Goliath’ battle after the council backed down. A solicitor’s letter to Mike dated May 9 said: “Having assessed the current condition of the caravan, officers are satisfied that it is no longer dilapidated and can be returned to the site.”

Mike said he already cleared the driveway in February and cleared the vehicles. He added: “The really awful thing is that the vehicle looks no different now to what it did in February after it was jet-washed.

“On the outside it doesn’t look any different. I feel relieved. If I had hired a lawyer it would have cost me £2,500. Common sense prevailed at the 11th hour.” He said repairing the vehicle delayed the renovation of his home by three months.

Work on the motorhome is still ongoing but so far he has spent £250 on new brakes, £75 on a fuel tank and £75 on a new carburettor. Mike added: “The irony is that during its restoration we got a lot of support from passers-by.”

He said the council had not provided evidence of any complaints and “nearby neighbors see the vehicles as a point of contention and have no other problem”. He also argued that the trailer created more of a problem on the road, where it reduced available parking spaces, than on his own drive.

The council declined to comment. A spokesman previously said: “Council officers have issued a remedial notice requiring the vehicle and trailer to be removed from the driveway and the waste cleared.”