A guy whose constructed parking roadblock was taken down by the municipality last month announced his intention to replace it with a new one embellished with hand-made garden gnomes.
The 65-year-old Derek Woodacre has been fighting with parents at St. John’s Primary School in Mosley Common for years because they park on his road while dropping their children off at school.
He said that since the route is unadopted, or not maintained by the Highways Authority, the damage caused by parents driving down it will cost locals “thousands” to restore.
Mr. Woodacre decided to build a complex barrier out of plants and other items to prevent parents from parking on the roadway.
But on July 19, Wigan Council demolished the structure after receiving complaints for more than two years that the barricades were preventing emergency vehicles and garbage trucks from entering Commonside Road.
The 65-year-old said that today, people from all across Greater Manchester and other places are coming to chat to him about the argument.
People are coming to visit me from Manchester and breaking out in laughter, he added.
They’re in tears as they listen to what I have in store for the future. The neighbourhood has become insane.
Mr. Woodacre, a devoted manufacturer of gnomes, expects to be able to rebuild the barricade and adorn it with the original sculptures.
In honour of one of his favourite places in the world, Lake Como in Italy, he added that he also intended to rename the pothole “Lake Gnomo.” It will be an expansion of his front gardens’ “Gnome Man’s Land.”
After complaining that Mr. Woodacre’s activities had caused them to have “sleepless evenings,” the neighbours will be praying he does not succeed in rebuilding the destroyed building.
They described him as “antagonising” and “stressful,” but Mr. Woodacre argues that they are few in number and that he “simply does not care anymore” what his neighbours think.
According to Ruby Howard, who has spent her whole childhood on Commonside Road, Mr. Woodacre’s construction “looked dreadful” and caused disagreements with parents.
He began to further enlarge the pothole after being instructed to take the plate off, she said. People on the street have had hectic days and restless nights.
He was initially fine and eager to assist with the road, but I believe he became a little too zealous. He fired everyone because he wanted to pursue his own interests.
A other neighbour said that Mr. Woodacre had even placed gas canisters in the road to prevent parents from using it to drop off their kids.
“He wants the spotlight.” He widened the hole. He is well-known there. The neighbour added, “He said he was going to enrage everyone in the street.
“It’s exhausting. I’ve never experienced anything like that.
Wigan Council has been approached by MailOnline for comment. In a prior statement, the director for the environment, Paul Barton, said: “Following this issue’s reporting, we have worked with the resident to rectify the problem.
On July 19, the constructions were taken down with the resident’s assistance.
We appreciate it when our residents let us know about problems, and we support this. Wigan.gov.uk/ReportIt is a website where citizens may report problems.