A homeowner has been branded a ‘Victor Meldrew’ killjoy after he complained about noise ‘as loud as a lawnmower’ coming from children playing on a basketball court.
The man, 53, is being paid £75-a-week compensation because an Ombudsman ruled he was wrongly treated by his local council.
But residents living close to historic Hailey Park in Cardiff say it is a ‘staggering’ waste of public money, with more than 1,000 people signing a petition to keep the basketball court where it is.
The Friends of Hailey Park organisation say the court has been there for more than 30 years.
When a small housing estate was built 50 yards away, developers Bellway Homes used the area as a storage compound for their diggers and machinery.
It was turned back into a basketball court when the houses were finished and that’s when the noise problems started.
The family whose home overlooks the multi-use games area say they have been driven crazy by bouncing balls for the last 10 years.
The father-of-one called in noise experts who recorded the sound of at 70 decibels, slightly above the level of a car door being shut.
He said: ‘Can you imagine a basketball being bounced 50 times a minute outside your house? That’s what we have to put up with.
‘This house is my dream home, I bought it to be near the park and there was never a basketball court there.
‘When they are playing out there we can’t have the windows open, we can’t have conversations, it’s so loud.’
Professional readings taken from his home showed a ball hitting the wire mesh in the play area reached 90 decibels – as noisy as a powered lawnmower.
The hoops were removed from the court six years ago but that hasn’t stopped the noise from youngsters bouncing basketballs and using it for football kickabouts.
When his complaints to Cardiff Council fell on deaf ears the homeowner turned to the Public Services Ombudsman saying it was having a ‘substantial impact’ on his life.
The Ombudsman ruled Cardiff Council had not taken appropriate action and was told to offer him £300 compensation and then £75-a-week until the situation was resolved.
The homeowner, a local businessman who has so far been paid £1,200, says he doesn’t want the money, he just wants the court to be moved to a better location in the 60-acre park.
His life has become more unbearable since the compensation deal was made public, as he claims people are using the court at 2am ‘out of spite’.
He’s also been accused of nibmyism, suffered online abuse and been publicly shunned by locals who mistakenly believe he also wants to get rid of the children’s playground next to the basketball court.
More than 1,000 locals have now signed a petition for the court to be kept in the same spot.
Clearly distressed he told Mail Online: ‘That is utter nonsense. Children laughing and playing is the most wonderful sound in the world.
‘It’s the incessant noise from the basketball court that nobody should have to put up with. I feel as if I’m being 100 per cent victimised for just wanting a quiet life.
‘I’m a nice guy, I’m not a complainer. I’m the innocent party in all this.
‘There are safeguarding issues now, people are that irate they’re threatening online to damage my property. What next? Are they going to attack my wife? It’s intimidating and we’ve done nothing wrong.’
Feelings are running high among people who have used the park since they were children.
One grandmother, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘This fella is a bit of a Victor Meldrew, none of the other people living there have complained about the noise.
‘If he wins this one then the next thing is he’ll be complaining about the noise from the children’s playground.’
Others are concerned that the complainant is getting more than £10-a day after he chose to buy a house next to a play area.
Mum-of-one Laura Kalirai, said: ‘I find it a bit worrying, how far can this go? Does this mean we’re going to start having to pay for everybody to be compensated for things they don’t like about where they live.’ (THIS FROM THE BBC WALES REPORT)
Paul Rock, 58, a Friends of Hailey Park committee member and the group’s treasurer, said: ‘I find it staggering that public money is being spent in this way. I don’t know if that’s normal.
‘I’m sure Cardiff Council can ill afford to hand over £300-a-month to a private individual.’
‘The basketball court has been there for many years, it’s a useful outdoor space for children to play and where parents teach their kids to ride a bike.
‘When Cardiff Council put sound recording equipment in the man’s garden they said it was just marginally above the threshold at times.’
Mr Rock said there had been no face-to-face meeting with the homeowner adding that the committee thought it would be unproductive because of the wording in his letter of complaint.
He said it was a ‘joke’ to have a basketball court with no hoops and hopes they will be reinstated by the time for the park’s centenary celebrations next year.
A public meeting was told the council has the funding to develop plans for a new play area. But for now, the homeowner will continue to get £75-a-week.
A Cardiff Council spokesman said: ‘Initial engagement with local school children and information sharing with the wider community will begin shortly, with a view to resolving the noise issue and delivering improved facilities for the community as quickly as possible.
‘In the meantime, the council has agreed to comply with the recommendations set out by the Ombudsman.’
