A MAN who works from home is fuming after being told by the council he can no longer park on his own drive...despite doing so for the last 22 years without a problem.

Paul Button, 52, could not believe it when he received a notice prohibiting him from parking on his own driveway in Central Avenue, Southend.

The IT engineer said: “I got the letter last week and the notice states that it is an offence to take a car over the kerb onto my drive. I’ve been here all this time and most people on this street do not have a dropped kerb.

“Of course what they are doing is probably correct, but why has it taken 22 years?

“Now they want us to pay £145, which is non-refundable, for an assessment to see whether we can have one fitted and then pay to get one installed which I understand to potentially cost thousands.”

Mr Button says he is confused as other cars park on the kerb further down the street where there are assigned bays. He added: “It’s very frustrating. There are parking bays on the pavement in this same street so it doesn’t make sense.

“Parking is so difficult around here as it is. There’s at least 20 people who park on their drives and they are all going to be forced to find somewhere else.”

The council insists preventing residents from driving over the kerb is for the greater good.

A spokesman said: “If residents want to cross a footpath to park in front of their home, they must have a proper dropped kerb installed and to go through the right process which is in place for a good reason and the vast majority of residents do that. Crossing a footpath without a dropped kerb is an offence.

“Installing a dropped kerb involves assessing safety, strengthening the sub base of the whole pavement area that will be driven over and ensuring that gas and water pipes and cabling below ground are not damaged. Ignoring this results in broken kerbs and slabs which are both dangerous trip hazards and cost the council significant amounts of public money to replace. In this world of dwindling resources, we cannot allow this to happen, so where we can gather evidence and have a good case we will take action.”

The spokesman added that if there are bays further down the street, it is likely these have been reinforced.