A bewildered dad has been allowed to park his beloved campervan back on his own driveway after winning a 'hollow victory' which stopped the case going to court.
Mike Perkins this week has his beloved Bunty back on his driveway in Cranham Drive in Warndon, after a 'David and Goliath' battle with Worcester City Council.
The council argued his then 'dilapidated' campervan and a Mini pickup and trailer were damaging 'the amenity of the area' and ordered him to clear the mess from his driveway which he did, removing both vehicles.
Despite complying with the council notice, the 63-year-old dad-of-three had still been due to do battle with the city council in the courtroom in a civil case on Tuesday, May 14 over what he saw as his right to park the 1972 Ford Transit Landliner CI Motorhome on his drive.
However, Mr Perkins withdrew his appeal against the section 215 notice and the council also gave ground, accepting he had complied with the notice and acknowledging the campervan was no longer dilapidated and could be returned to his drive.
Since being served with the notice last August, Mr Perkins had been working on restoring the Landliner which he dubbed 'Project Bunty', his pet name for the motorhome which is of great sentimental value to him.
A solicitor's letter to Mr Perkins dated May 9 said: "Having assessed the current condition of the campervan, officers are satisfied that it is no longer dilapidated and can be returned to the land."
Mr Perkins said he had already cleared up the driveway in February and cleaned the vehicles.
He added: "The really terrible thing is that the vehicle doesn't look any different now to what it did in February after it was jetwashed.
"Externally it doesn't look any different. I feel relieved. If I had hired a barrister it would have cost me £2,500. Common sense prevailed at the 11th hour."
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He said repairing the vehicle, which he had done himself, had delayed the renovation of his home by two or three months, a project he had hoped to pursue for personal family reasons so his daughters could stay with him there.
The work on the motorhome is still underway but so far he has spent £250 on new brakes, £75 on a fuel tank and £75 on a new carburettor.
Mr Perkins was served with a notice under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, ordering him to improve the condition of the front garden by November 20 last year.
Mr Perkins said the city council had provided evidence of any complaints by neighbours and 'close neighbours consider the vehicles a talking point or landmark and otherwise have no issue'.
He also argued that the vehicle created more of an issue on the road, where it reduced available parking, than on his own drive.
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