Green space resembles 'war zone' after car damage

A once attractive green space outside homes in Coventry has become a dangerous eyesore, residents said, after being destroyed by parked cars.

The land on Langley Croft, Tile Hill, is home to a 350-year-old oak tree but has been steadily eroded over the last few years.

Pedro Olivier, who lives opposite, said it was once a "peaceful place for the kids to play and for us to enjoy" but described it as looking like "a war zone - it looks like trenches from the First World War."

Citizen Housing, which is responsible for the land, said it was "committed to working with partners and residents to find a constructive way forward".

Neighbours said they had repeatedly contacted Citizen Housing about the deteriorating condition of the land multiple times.

Samantha Sutor and her wife said it had been one of things that attracted them to their home because the children could play there.

"We wanted somewhere where we could sit on our doorstep and keep an eye on them. With the oak tree as well, it's beautiful," she said.

"But since it's been like that, nobody can play on it. It's just heartbreaking to see how it's ended up."

Citizen Housing posted leaflets through letterboxes asking them not to park on the green but residents said people just ignored them.

Olivier said it was "unsafe and dangerous".

"My wife is pregnant, she almost fell a couple of times and it's a danger for her. We have neighbours that are slightly older and a bit more fragile," he said.

"It's just sad to see them struggling to walk in this area."

Elly Dix, head of estates and services at Citizen Housing, said they understood frustrations and that the recent rain had made things worse.

"While we own the grassed area in question, we only manage five of the 24 homes on this road," she added.

"The grassed area has been significantly affected by vehicles parking on it, largely due to limited parking availability in the street, which has made routine maintenance difficult.

"We take the concerns raised seriously and are now carrying out a further site assessment to explore what longer-term solutions may be possible."

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