Anger at ban on hanging out the washing

Residents of a Dunstable housing estate are in a spin over a washing line ban.

Both tenants and homeowners of Bowmans Way and Bowmans Close, have been sent notices stressing they are not allowed to dry washing outside their homes in the estate.

“It just seems ridiculous,” said one resident. “We shouldn’t feel that we are committing a crime if we hang washing out.”

The properties consist of 24 leasehold flats and 48 freehold houses.

But the resident said there were quite a few families living in some of the cluster houses, which were too small to fit in tumble dryers.

She said drying washing indoors was causing problems with condensation in the properties.

She said when she first came to the property she did not see a clause in her contract which banned drying washing outside.

The latest letters, in the May newsletter from Periwinkle Lane Maintenance Company (Dunstable) Ltd. states: “Drying washing outside your property is not permitted. This is a covenant within your property title.”

It also advised residents against planting shrubs and trees near to their propertie.

“The grounds are available for all to use as a garden area. They are not a playground. Property titles include nuisance, annoyance and inconvenience clauses.

“It is good to see the grounds used for relaxation purposes but please keep noise to a minimum and respect your neighbour’s privacy.”

A spokesman for Keyholder Lettings and Management, the parent company for Periwinkle said: “Covenants of this type often stem from planning regulations at the time of the build and seek to provide an attractive visual amenity for all.

“ We do not doubt that on a development of this size you will find differing opinion about this and no doubt a vox populi exercise would confirm this but all should know the covenants at property purchase (or when signing a tenancy agreement) and this reminder is included within a newsletter because some residents have requested that neighbours are reminded of this.

“This office visited the site a short while ago and it looks very attractive with the stunning weather we are having.”

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