A couple have blasted a housing developer after moving into a property with a parking space measuring just 89 INCHES – meaning they can’t even open their car doors.
Paul Jones, 34, and wife Zena, 54, believe they could have Britain’s smallest parking space after moving into the £90,000 home in February.
The brand new house has been built as part of a multi-million pound development on the Fore Meadows estate in Great Barr, Birmingham.
But the pair were left baffled after being given a space measuring just 7ft which has left them barely able to squeeze their Ford Fiesta into the tight spot on Deer Park Drive.
And even when they manage to position themselves onto the narrow drive they cannot open their car doors – meaning they sometimes have to clamber out the BOOT.
Developers Taylor Wimpey, have admitted their error when building the driveway but the couple say nothing has been done since contacting the firm 144 days ago.
Former carer Zena said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. We moved in on February 17, and nothing has been done about it.
“When we first got into the house, we were ecstatic with it and the care that Taylor Wimpey were providing us.
“There was a barrier in front of the driveway originally, and when that was moved we were so excited to put the car on it for the first time.
“I turned round to Paul, and said: ‘It looks a bit tight, that’. He tried, and it was almost impossible
“It took me standing on the busy road, making sure he didn’t hit the fence for him to get it in OK
“Then we realised that he wouldn’t be able to get out.
“So the space, which we’ve paid all this money for, is unusable.
“Honestly, you can’t fit anything in there.
“It’s a silver Ford Fiesta, so it’s not the biggest car in the world.
“It’s ruining our social lives. We would normally have friends coming round to stay, but it’s impossible now because they can’t park anywhere.
“My pal has a FIAT Punto, and for a laugh we thought we’d see if that would get on there.
“It would, but again they couldn’t open the door. The driveway is 7ft, and it’s just not big enough.
“We’ve been pushing and pushing them all the time for a solution.
“But they’ve passed us from person to person. We’re on to our fourth different one now.
“It’s been five months, and we’re still having to put up with it.
“The response is they’re looking into it, won’t let us go any further than customer service, won’t let us go any higher so we can get some sense out of them.
“If we’re having to do this in the winter then it would be even more tricky, if it gets icy.
“I met the contractor a few months ago, and he said that he warned his colleagues that the space was too tight.
“So why on earth did they not listen?
“They must have just thought ‘oh well, no one will notice.”
Paul, a customer service agent at a car company, added “We’ve been constantly ignored.
“They won’t engage with us at all. The only way that we can get through to them is through the Twitter account.
“I think the only reason they respond on there is because people retweet it and it’s bad publicity for them.
“It’s a disgrace, the way that we’ve been treated. Heaven forbid if we had a bigger car or were disabled.
“They have to do something, because this isn’t the standards that we’re paying for.”
A Taylor Wimpey spokesman said: “We are in regular contact with the customer and are working collaboratively to resolve any issues.
“We apologise for any inconvenience which may have been caused, and hope to come to a mutually-agreeable conclusion at the soonest possibility.’
