‘My Nightmare Neighbour Next Door’ family are ordered to remove eyesore static caravan from outside their £170,000 house after years of complaints from locals
- Lillie Goddard and her disabled mother have two caravans outside their £170,000 property in Swindon, Wiltshire
- Swindon County Court has ordered she and husband Mark remove static caravan by August
- The eyesore home caused rows amongst neighbours on the Channel 5 show
A family which starred on ‘My Nightmare Neighbour Next Door’ who caused a row with neighbours over an eyesore static caravan outside their home have been ordered to remove it by August.
Lillie Goddard and her disabled mother are apparently living in the static caravan alongside her £170,000 property on Purley Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire, and are understood to be renting out the rooms in the house to tenants.
Alongside the static home, Mrs Goddard has a normal ‘towable’ caravan and previously had a shipping container in the garden which was removed in June 2021 after years of complaints from neighbours.
The court case against Mrs Goddard refers to the static caravan which she lives in, which has ordered that it must be removed from their front garden.
A judge at Swindon County Court ruled that their ‘quiet residential area has been inconvenienced’ by the caravan, and so now Mrs Goddard and her husband Mark must remove it by August 5 or the council will remove it.
The row also featured in the Channel 5 TV show ‘My Nightmare Neighbour Next Door’.
Stars of ‘My Nightmare Neighbour Next Door’ who have kept caravans and a shipping container outside their eyesore property have been ordered to remove the static home by August. Lillie Goddard is pictured appearing in Channel 5 programme in April 2020
Swindon Borough Council prosecutor Daryl Bigwood had told the court that there are three covenants that were breached – which state that the property cannot be used to cause annoyance to the council or neighbours.
It also states that no structure is to be erected without the permission of the council and no caravan is to be parked on the property, except in a position approved by the council. Mr Bigwood said that the couple breached all three.
There was initially not enough room in the garden for the caravan, which arrived in July 2019, before a wall was partially removed to accommodate it.
But Swindon Borough Council claimed that this broke several covenants – legal rules contained with the deeds of a property – which set out what can and cannot be done with the land.
Over the years neighbours have complained about the eyesore and called public meetings to debate what they could do about the situation, and also took part in the Channel 5 show which aired in April 2020.
When Ms Goddard first moved to the property, she claimed it was uninhabitable and extensive work needed to be carried out on the heating system and floorboards.
She moved into the static caravan in June 2019 and bought a shipping container in December that year to store building materials while repairs were underway.
Lillie Goddard and her disabled mother were apparently living in the static home (left) alongside her property on Purley Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire, and is understood to be renting out the rooms to tenants. Pictured centre is the shipping container which has since been removed, as well as a ‘towable’ caravan (right) which has not been ordered to be removed
Neither of the additions had planning permission and the house itself is now thought to be in good condition. In June 2021, the shipping container was removed with a crane, but the two caravans remain outside the house.
The court heard that the static home ‘affected the amenity of the area’, residents were asked to move their cars to make way for it and that the council has ‘been put to some expense’.
The court also heard the couple’s name is ‘Lord and Lady Goddard’. Speaking at the property last week, Lillie’s husband Mark said his wife bought the English aristocracy title several years ago.
Lady Goddard, who represented herself via video link, claimed that the covenants did not apply to her.
She said that as the council sold the house in 1997 to another buyer, and she was not aware they existed, they did not apply.
But deciding on the case, District Judge Peter Hatvany said that it was ‘clear’ the covenants did apply, and found that they were breached.
He said: ‘She has made attempts as to where it can be moved. She simply doesn’t know how she can comply.
‘She has very limited finances and is worried about that.’ Lillie Goddard will have to meet the council’s costs of £5,000.
Speaking at home, ‘Lord Goddard’ said his wife resides in the caravan with her disabled mother – but she is ‘making arrangements’ to have it moved following the court’s decision.
Local residents are pictured in front of the shipping container (which was removed in June 2021) and caravans outside the house in Swindon in January 2020
‘I’ve not done anything wrong myself, not personally’, he said.
‘The problem is, [my wife] has misinterpreted the law. It could have been dealt with a lot differently.
‘She offered to put a fence up there, it would have been fenced off and you wouldn’t see anything – but the council wouldn’t allow it.
‘I know Lillie’s not perfect, but it could have been resolved completely differently had people come up to her and spoken to her normally.’
Lord Goddard said Lady Lillie’s disabled mother is going to be moved to another of their properties in the Swindon area once the caravan has been removed.
The newly employed coach driver claims the only ‘nightmare neighbour’ in his street is the woman who continuously reports everything he and Lady Goddard get up to.
Throughout the prolonged dispute, Mrs Goddard has claimed she has been the victim of racial discrimination, bullying and abuse from neighbours. Pictured left is the static caravan which will be removed by the council if Mrs Goddard doesn’t herself by August
Councillor Gary Sumner, the cabinet member for strategic infrastructure, transport and planning, said: ‘I am really pleased the court supported our application for an injunction as the caravan, and container before it, had been causing real issues for local residents.
‘This has been a long, drawn out process which has been going on for many years and it is a shame we have had to go down the legal route to have the caravan removed.
‘I look forward to seeing it finally taken away so residents can begin to put this whole episode behind them.’
Throughout the prolonged dispute, Mrs Goddard has claimed she has been the victim of racial discrimination, bullying and abuse from neighbours.
She said she has had a series of unexpected setbacks caused by circumstances which were beyond her control have delayed her attempts to sort out the mess.
After a previous enforcement order to remove the caravan was quashed, she hopes the courts will not approve the new injunction – for the sake of her mother.
She said: ‘Why would the council wish to force a senior to become homeless or move into a house where climbing stairs could be life-threateningly dangerous for her?
‘How will I be able to care for her in an emergency situation? She does not speak English. It is victimisation and cruel.’
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