Greenwich Council pays £1,000 for dropped kerb delays
A resident's car was trapped on his driveway for five days due to extended dropped kerb works.
News London evidence indexOpen analysis ▾
Trust 74: named council spokesperson, quoted ombudsman report, specific dates and figures give solid evidence.
Higher is stronger
Critic 95: clear impact explained, council quote included, precise data, next steps outlined, well‑structured story.
Higher is stronger
Hype 30: headline mildly sensational but body remains measured and factual.
Lower is better
Greenwich Council has paid a resident £1,000 after his car was trapped on his driveway for five days during dropped kerb extension works. The council took eight months to commence the works, which were also shorter than originally quoted.
Ombudsman investigation
Greenwich proposes blanket 20mph speed limit for all roads
Council aims to enhance safety and simplify road rules across the borough.
The resident, referred to as Mr X, complained to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman after experiencing significant delays and poor communication from Greenwich Council. Mr X applied to extend the dropped kerb in front of his house on 19 December 2024 and paid a £125 inspection fee. His application was approved a month later, and he received a quote from the council.
Following the construction of his new hardstanding parking space in March 2025, Mr X paid the council £5,237 in April 2025 for the kerb extension works. Greenwich Council had stated that construction could take up to 16 weeks to begin. Mr X lodged a formal complaint when the work had not started after this period.
Six months after Mr X made his payment, Greenwich Council advertised a traffic order on 22 October. However, the dropped kerb extension work did not commence until 15 December. Mr X stated he was not notified of the start of the works and was also not informed that the resulting dropped kerb was 2.4 metres long, which was shorter than the 3.3 metres he had been initially quoted.
Hounslow Council fined £1,000 for failing disabled residents
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the council at fault for closing a homelessness application without notification and failing to provide accommodation.
The ombudsman found fault with Greenwich Council for delaying the work by several months. The ombudsman also determined that the council wrongly informed Mr X that his kerb could be 3.3 metres long, when council policy limited it to 2.4 metres. The report highlighted poor communication by the council, which caused Mr X distress and inconvenience.
The ombudsman ordered Greenwich Council to pay Mr X £1,000 to compensate for the distress caused by the delayed works, the inconvenience, and the poor communication. The payment was also intended to address the fact that the dropped kerb was smaller than expected and that Mr X was not informed of this discrepancy until the works had begun, preventing him from cancelling the works and seeking a refund.
Council response and future measures
A spokesperson for Greenwich Council stated that the council has apologised and made the payment to Mr X following the Ombudsman's decision. The council has introduced new measures to prevent future errors and ensure applicants are kept well-informed throughout the process. These include a new site inspection checklist covering policy criteria and measurements to avoid errors when assessing dropped kerb applications.
Furthermore, the council has advised its external contractors that they must provide applicants with at least 48 hours' notice before works are proposed to start and to take measures to accommodate vehicle access during works where possible. The council's updated Dropped Kerb Policy, which details criteria, timeframes, costs, and other considerations for both residents and the council, is available on its website.
Questions this report answers
+Why did Greenwich Council pay a resident £1,000?
Greenwich Council paid a resident £1,000 following a decision by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman. The payment was to compensate the resident for distress and inconvenience caused by significant delays and poor communication regarding dropped kerb extension works, which also resulted in his car being trapped on his driveway for five days.
+What caused the delays and issues with the dropped kerb works?
The council took eight months to start the dropped kerb extension works after the resident's application and payment. The works also commenced without notifying the resident, and the final dropped kerb was 2.4 metres, nearly a metre shorter than the 3.3 metres originally quoted and agreed upon.
+What is Greenwich Council doing to prevent similar issues?
Greenwich Council has apologised and implemented new measures to improve its service. These include a new site inspection checklist, advising contractors to give 48 hours' notice before starting works, and accommodating vehicle access during construction. The updated Dropped Kerb Policy is now available on the council's website.
News London Desk
This article was written at the News London news desk from the reporting of the outlets listed below it. Drafting is done by a language model under human editorial supervision — there is no reporter behind this byline, and we would rather say so than invent one.
How stories are produced and scoredWho runs News LondonCorrections
The London Ledger
A considered capital-wide edit delivered each morning.
More Coverage in Council & Politics
Greenwich proposes blanket 20mph speed limit for all roads
Hounslow Council fined £1,000 for failing disabled residents
Mayor told to secure London Stadium naming rights
