Family say huge tree root has stopped them using their front door for four years

Rashpal Singh Athwal by his obstructed front door (Picture: Shropshire Star)

A family say they’ve been unable to use their front door for years due to a massive tree root.

Visitors to the home have to use a separate driveway to gain entry.

The root comes from a tree growing by the side of the road they live on in Penn, Wolverhampton and reaches the house’s front door.

According to the family, the root has also blocked nearby drains.

Ashpal Singh Athwal, who lives at the property, told The Express and Star: ‘We still can’t use the front door and when someone comes, we have to tell them to come up through the driveway to get to the back of the house.

‘How would you feel if you’ve got guests coming at Christmas time and you have to say ‘Go and use to the back door’? It’s not right.’

The 69-year-old said the family had paid £1,600 for an expert to check the root and put together a report, which they passed on to the council.

He claims, however, they ‘didn’t want to know’.

The tree sits on the pavement in front of the house and is managed by Wolverhampton Council (Picture: Shropshire Star)

The problem started in 2019 when the family noticed the pavement and the concrete in front of their door was starting to crack.

Despite complaints to Wolverhampton Council, who manage the trees on the road, they say the issue is still not resolved.

Mr Athwal still hopes the council will remove the tree root, which, he says, currently stops at their front door and doesn’t go underneath the property.

He’d also like his local authority to sort out the issue with the drains and cover the costs of the report.

A spokeswoman for Wolverhampton Council told the Express and Star that all tree management decisions made by the council need to be taken with a view to the “long-term health and stability of the tree in relation to both local residents and highway users”.

“The council has advised Mr Athwal that he is welcome to undertake appropriate works within his property. We are unable to comment further regarding specific details of this case.”

Metro.co.uk has contacted the council for further comment.

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