Homeowner sparks outrage after paving over garden for driveway

A homeowner has defended her decision to cut down a tree and pave over her garden amid cries of outrage on social media.

Old photos of a Bradford Road property in Bolton with a luscious garden containing bushes, grass, trees and shrubs emerged on social media. A second photo, taken six years later, show the garden replaced by a paved driveway.

The new scene, a grey concrete patio, has been likened to a “petrol station without pumps”. Other social media users have called it “vandalism” and said wildlife could be harmed by the change.

But, speaking to the MailOnline, the owner says the photos make it look “a lot worse than it actually is”. The nurse said: “It looks like its a massive area but its actually not.

“The tree came down because my roof was leaking in and the moss. It’s been there five years before I got here.

“I actually trimmed the tree at first but then when it was trimmed down all the birds started landing on it and then all this area below was full of bird crap. So, I can’t win.

“They were also complaining about the wildlife, but I live on a main road. There’s no wildlife. Just because I cut a tree down there’s been a big uproar about it. For god’s sake just leave me alone.”

As well as ripping out the garden, the homeowner renovated the front of the property, rendering it and having new windows installed, and had a car port put in.

Since being shared on social media, the property had received a lot of criticism. One person likened the change to “vandalism”.

They said: “They changed it from cute, if a little dated, with a nice garden, to ‘badly converted spa’.

A second quipped: “I’d like to report a crime.”

A third suggested the change is “ecocide”.

Local resident Ian Broadbent, 75, said he didn’t mind what she’d done. He explained: “It’s not my choice, I like a bit of greenery but I know a lot of people don’t like gardening.”

Following the online battering, the homeowner pleaded for critics to “leave me alone”. She has since put the bungalow on the market, but worries the backlash could put people off.