EVERY Sparsholt resident who takes care of their front garden is ‘breaking the law’.

At least this is what was claimed by Winchester City Council planning committee whilst debating a controversial application.

Mr and Mrs Conroy, of Mount View in Church Lane, had applied to change the use of a highway verge bordering their house. They had asked to use it as amenity land.

“Effectively, the couple have been illegally mowing the grass there for 25 years,” said Nick Culhane, the highways agent representing the Conroys at a meeting on October 22.

He said that because the land is officially a highway verge, it is the responsibility of Hampshire County Council highways team.

“The council do mow the grass twice a year, but the Conroys wish to keep it looking nice all year round, as they always have,” he added.

But there are not any footpaths in Sparsholt, which led Cllr Brian Laming to say: “This could mean that technically, the whole village of Sparsholt is breaking the law, because almost everyone keeps their grass maintained nicely, and most lawns border a road.

“Many villages across the district are the same, so why change the status quo?”

The exact bureaucracy was not figured out during the meeting, but the plans were unanimously refused.

The issues has implications for many other villages in the district with similar wide verges.

City councillor Caroline Horrill, who represents Sparsholt, said: “There are no footpaths and this piece of grass is used to walk on, to the church and elsewhere.

“Allowing the residents to use this as amenity land enables development rights. Although there will be planning conditions put in place, these will not last forever.

“It’s not like anyone will park on the grass and ruin it – there are already bollards in place to stop that.

“Why should this land be gifted to a resident? If the applicant really did not want to change anything on the land, then why would they apply to own it?

“There is a longer term goal here.”

Mr Culhane responded: “It’s not gifted, it’s more to get the correct rights in place. People don’t sit here and have a picnic – it’s a highway verge.

“To me it sounds like you do not trust your planning officers to enforce the conditions that are put in place.

“There is no underlying scheme here, and if the applicants wanted to change anything they would have to come back to the council anyway.”