:: Morgan ::

:: Monday, January 06, 2003 ::

I have now succumbed to the dreaded kerb-dropping syndrome. I live in a short cul de sac, used by mothers dropping kids at school and commuters for all day parking. Wouldn't be too much of a problem if one neighbour didn't have three or four cars. He parks two on his drive and the other in front of my house. This means that, frequently, my wife has no where to park close by and loads of heavy shopping. We've given in and are now having the kerb dropped and the garden paved over. Why is this such a disaster - it could add £5,000 to the value of the house? Firstly, we lose the front garden with all its flowers and the small lawn. It looked really nice when the flowers were in bloom. They'll be replaced by a few plant pots. Secondly, and far worse, is the environmental impact. The more driveways that are created and the more garden that is paved over the greater the risk of flooding. If you have a proper garden the rain takes some time to drain away and heavy rain fall won't necessarily cause flooding. Pave over the garden and the rain runs away very quickly. If sufficient people do this then the local drainage system is overwhelmed and even light showers begin to cause local flooding. Don't ask me what the answer is - I had to make a decision based on my own circumstances. It may be that in future local councils don't permit paving of gardens or they restrict the type and size of area. Who knows?
:: David 1:53 pm [+] ::
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