'Awful' blockade finally removed after years of conflict on turbulent street

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A man who put an ‘awful’ blockade on the road in front of his house is now scheming new ways to deter people from parking on his street after his homemade measures were removed. Derek Woodacer has been battling with parents doing the school drop off at Mosley Common’s St John’s Primary School for years as he believes they shouldn’t be parking on his street.

The 65-year-old has even been in conflict with his own neighbours over this issue, with one saying the blockade could have prevented emergency vehicles and bin men getting through. Derek has become notorious on Commonside Road as a result of this battle that has been going on for almost three years.

This has led to fights, vandalism, complaints and huge financial cost, according to Derek.

Read more: Dad, 39, among four missing men feared dead in devastating Oldham mill fire

“I moved here five years ago and this is an unadopted road so the council is not responsible for it,” he said. “When I moved in I thought what the hell is this.

“The first week I saw a lot of people parking from the school. I felt a lot of abuse from parents when I told them they couldn't park there.

“We have to pay to repair the road and it costs thousands.

“I met every resident on the road and they told me about all the problems. There have been assaults and property damage and we wanted to get this sorted.

“This was in terms of trying to stop people parking here. I said this is not acceptable and said there is no point in repairing the road if we can’t stop people parking here.

“People who were walking past them were admiring them. They were saying ‘wow’.

“They [Wigan Council] tried to force me to remove the stuff from the highway two months ago. That is when I got the notice.

“Then it was