A GROUP of neighbours say they are prepared to take legal action to get a wildflower area moved because it blocks their entrances.

The Lydney Recreation Trust has infuriated residents whose homes back onto Lydney Lake by replacing an area of tarmac with flower beds which are built up near the boundaries of their properties.

Graham Brown, of Cambourne Place, said: “We’ve had access for more than 60 years but the trust has just blocked our back entrances and didn’t even have the courtesy of informing that it was going to happen.”

The trust, which is run by Lydney Town Council, says there is pedestrian access but the residents would need an ‘easement’, a legal agreement allowing the residents to cross the trust’s land.

Mr Brown said the entrances are shown on the conveyance issued when the houses were built in the early 1950s.

He said: “My easement is my conveyance and we also have a letter from the trust dated 1959.

“The trust’s minutes from May 2015 say we would have to have had access for 10 years but we’ve had it for more than 60 years.”

Neighbour Mr Bob Evans said: “It’s diabolical what they’ve done. We’ve had this access for many years but they’ve just come in and blocked us off.

“We don’t think it’s a coincidence that they’ve put fence post in the middle of our gates.

“We’ll certainly consider legal action if this is not removed.”

Another resident, Mr Gordon Brown, said: “The residents have been informed that an easement is required to enter onto trust land but this is absolute nonsense.

“These entrances have been in use for over 60 years, both as pedestrian and vehicular accesses.

“The residents possess overwhelming, photographic, historic and legal documentation to verify this and as such have nothing whatsoever to prove to the trustees.”

He added that removing the tarmac prevented older people from driving alongside the lake to admire the view.

He said: “We used to have a lot of people who can’t walk very far drive down and enjoy the lake.

“The angling club members now have to carry heavy equipment a longer distance.”

The trust say the Land Registry title deed shows there are no easements and while there is a agreement dating back to 1984 giving pedestrian access, the annual fee associated with it has not been paid in the last 20 years.

Deputy Mayor of Lydney, Cllr Brian Pearman, said: “Lydney Recreation Trust took a corporate decision to create a wildflower and wildlife corridor on land over which it holds absolute title.

“The creation of such an area seeks to meet the trust’s biodiversity commitment – it also sought to address the many former complaints the trust had previously received from residents in respect to the trust’s choice of prior surfacing, the number of cars visiting the lake and traffic noise.

“The trustees remain confident that the wildflowers will enhance the area and have no intention at this time of reinstating the ground.”