Pensioner accuses council of wanting her to ‘downsize into a coffin’

Ms Gregory has lived in her home at Orchard Close, Clowne for ten years, and claims the Bolsover District Council (BDC) wants access to the land behind her property in order to build homes. The Derbyshire local has said she will fight any attempts from the council to remove her from her home, and said that whenever the council call her she always ends the conversation by warning them to ‘get ready’. A local woman from Derbyshire has said her local council want to demolish her home (Image: Getty Images)Sharon Gregory said she ordered officers from Bolsover Council to leave her home after they visited her under false premises.The pensioner said her garden is one of the busiest ‘hedgehog highways’ in the local area and claimed that the two council employees came to her under the guise of being concerned for local wildlife.She said: ‘They sat down and one officer had got a letter with her and they were talking about the hedgehogs and she said ‘it’s not something that we get involved in, but arrangements could be made and they’re safe for now’.”However, Ms Gregory grew suspicious and asked them outright if they were looking to demolish her home and the neighbouring bungalows to gain access to the land behind her property.Ms Gregory is a local Clowne Parish council member with knowledge of the area, which is why she guessed the council wished to demolish her property.After being questioned, the two officers confirmed her suspicions.Ms Gregory recalled: ‘I was stunned and I said ‘well it’s in your best interest I die then isn’t it?”The council owns land near Orchard Close and wishes to build houses in the area, however, the only access point is at Rood Lane and the council has been unable to prove ownership of the property.The council attempted to buy Rood Land using a compulsory purchase order (CPO) in 2019 but it did not go through.This is not the first time Ms Gregory has challenged the council, as she has used her time on the parish council to deal with dangerous traffic surrounding the nearby Clowe Junior School.She said: ‘Now they’re expecting me to come out of my bungalow to add to the problem. What do they expect me to do?’READ MORE: Donald Trump performs ‘better’ with ‘more challenges’ The pensioner said her garden is one of the busiest ‘hedgehog highways’ in the local area (Image: Getty Images)Ms Gregory also said that the local school brings children to see the hedgehogs, and now they are worried about the local wildlife’s loss of habitats and said: ‘The kids are so upset.’The council said it still believed it owned the part of Rood Lane giving access to the land they own, but have ‘unable to find evidence of this’.They have also confirmed as part of its ‘usual consultation process” it has offered Ms Gregory alternative accommodation and a financial package if she decided to move.Ms Gregory refused the offer, despite the council offering to fund removals as well as new carpet fittings for the move.Neighbours whose home on Rood Land is right next to the entrance to the land, Eric and Jenny Blackwell, have also said they are concerned about the Council.DON’T MISS:Royal Family give their social media a new look  [REVEAL]Putin ‘would not’ have invaded Ukraine if Trump was President [CLAIM]Two men killed by a Poland missile strike have been identified [INSIGHT] The council owns land near Orchard Close and wishes to build houses in the area. (Image: Getty Images)Ms Blackwell said: ‘At the end of the day, Clowne is in the 21st Century, but we’re living with 19th Century infrastructure and it cannot cope with all this additional traffic they’re pushing onto people.’We have ambulances being blocked in at times and fire engines can’t get through, putting lives at risk.’A spokesman from Bolsover Council said: ‘We understand situations like this are upsetting and we always speak to those involved to try and address any concerns and help with any potential relocation expenses.’A compulsory purchase order (CPO) is the last resort and we have tried to work with Ms Gregory throughout the process.’The spokesman continued: ‘We have a shortage of properties across Bolsover district and with more than 1,000 people on our housing waiting list and Government targets to achieve.’We have to do all we can with the assets we have available to help meet our local communities’ needs and provide them with good quality, suitable accommodation.’