EXCLUSIVE Gran, 48, faces eviction from her three-bed council house after spending £30k on garden makeover without planning permission

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A grandmother fears she faces eviction from her council house after spending £30k on a garden makeover without planning permission.

Renata Mahmoud, 48, has lived in the three-bed council property in Moulsecoomb, East Sussex for 19 years and raised her three children there.

The semi-detached property boasts a large back garden but it became overgrown and, after one of her children was injured playing, she decided to transform the space.

Ms Mahmoud saved up and in 2023 building work began to level out the slope into a three-tier patio.

She told the MailOnline: ‘The garden before was awful, you couldn’t do anything, no gardener would do it. You have to make it level, so I’ve been asking the council for years, please could you help me out to make it level. 

‘I was asking them, saying “I don’t want you to make it nice, I just want you to help me to start off, to do the level, I don’t want you to design for me”.

‘They gave me nothing towards it. Their response was: “No, I’m sorry the council doesn’t have any money, it’s the tenants’ responsibility.” That was their answer.

‘I made a lovely garden and they’ve ordered me to take it down. It’s very depressing as I don’t know if I can afford to, we could sleep on the streets because of this.’ 

A grandmother who speaks English as a second language fears she will soon be made homeless over her garden renovation

A grandmother who speaks English as a second language fears she will soon be made homeless over her garden renovation

Renata Mahmoud, 48, has lived in the council property on Birdham Road in Moulsecoomb for 19 years

Renata Mahmoud, 48, has lived in the council property on Birdham Road in Moulsecoomb for 19 years

In 2023, she began work to fix her 'jungle' garden - but didn't apply for any planning permission

In 2023, she began work to fix her ‘jungle’ garden – but didn’t apply for any planning permission

Renata says in total the work to tame her garden cost her £30,000 for work which included cutting back trees and levelling and laying down a patio

Renata says in total the work to tame her garden cost her £30,000 for work which included cutting back trees and levelling and laying down a patio

Ms Mahmoud said the work has cost her £30,000 which included cutting back trees and levelling and laying down a patio.

She continued: ‘My neighbour was very happy, he doesn’t want all the weeds coming in too his garden from my one. People were joking: “Finally, the nutter’s doing something!” 

‘I didn’t know I had to apply for planning permission and I am sorry. But I can’t just put it back like it was. It was dangerous, it was very hilly, all it had sorts of bricks, broken, metals, foxes and snakes.

‘They should’ve been happy that one of their council tenants was trying to improve their property. This house is my precious, you know, and I will do anything to do something nice. You know, my heart’s there. My home.

‘We will sleep on the streets if we’re evicted.’

Her neighbour Michael Bundock, 53, said he couldn’t understand the council’s position.

He said: ‘I’ve been in constant dialogue with her, I’ve been helping her.

‘With her first language being Polish, it’s hard for her to quite understand at times what they’re saying. 

‘She’s lived there for 19 years and we’ve been here for 20 years, so we know her well, she’s never been a bother at all.

‘It was a state before, it was brambles, weeds, bricks and glass – they’re all the same. And she did ask for help, she did ask for help for a long time, because she had small children growing up and nothing was done for her.

‘I would rather look at a nice garden than have a mess next door to me. That’s for sure.’

Despite his reservations, Ms Mahmoud is still facing spending thousands returning the garden to the original state. 

Renata's neighbours have all said they support her and can't understand the council's position

Renata’s neighbours have all said they support her and can’t understand the council’s position 

Her neighbour Michael Bundock, 53, told the Mail he couldn't understand the council's position

Her neighbour Michael Bundock, 53, told the Mail he couldn’t understand the council’s position

Mr Bundock continued: ‘It seems a bit extreme doesn’t it. 

‘Because she’s tried working with them, and she’s been to mediation, but they’re not giving at all.

‘It’d cost thousands, it’s always like this. I feel sorry for her.

‘I mean how can you evict someone for making a nice garden? She’s been told for years “tidy up your garden, tidy up your garden”, then she does the gardens and they say, “we’ll evict you if you don’t want to put it back.”

‘It doesn’t make sense; why be jealous of someone else’s kingdom?’ 

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: ‘This matter has been referred to the courts and that we consider the resident to be in breach of their tenancy agreement.

‘Eviction is always a last resort. There are no current plans to proceed with eviction at this stage. 

‘We’re just keen to find a resolution to the issues created with the property.’




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