Grieving son, 47, blasts council for turning his late mother’s beloved garden into a ‘wasteland’ after workers felled tree and ruined her ‘pride and joy’
- Howard Hughes said council workers have destroyed a memorial garden which he created for his late mother
- His mother Kathleen Hughes had died from a short battle with brain cancer at the age of 70 in 2013
- The garden had been a tribute to her and it had been her ‘labour of love’, as she had spent many hours there
- Wrexham Council deemed a tree in the garden was a safety risk and chopped it down last week
- The once beautiful garden has now been left looking like a ‘bomb site’ after workers trampled over it
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A grieving son was left heartbroken after the council destroyed his late mother’s beloved memorial garden, when workmen turned it into a ‘bomb site’.
Howard Hughes has slammed Wrexham Council after it sent workers out to chop down a tree in his back garden.
The 47-year-old was left devastated after his mother Kathleen passed away following a battle with brain cancer at the age of 70.
The two of them had enjoyed many happy days in the back garden of their home in North Wales which had been Kathleen’s ‘pride and joy’.
Howard Hughes (pictured above) in his garden at his property in Wrexham after the council chopped down a tree which he said had been the centre piece of the garden
Howard Hughes with his late mother Kathleen Hughes in her garden in July 2006. The two were inseparable and spent many hours together in the garden
Kathleen (left) had loved being in her garden and enjoyed the flowers and plants (right) and would spend hours tending to them
When she died in October 2013 Howard transformed the garden into a memorial for his mother, as a reminder of the special times they had shared together.
However, a neighbour complained about a tree growing at an angle towards their property and council inspectors deemed it needed to be cut down as it was a safety risk.
On Friday 29 March, workmen arrived at the property and chopped down the tree, which Howard described as the centrepiece of the garden.
He was left furious after they destroyed expensive garden ornaments and upturned floral displays that his late mother had planted.
Kathleen was a keen gardener and Howard described the back garden as her ‘labour of love’. He said he would watch her potter away all day long
The garden has been left in ruin and plant pots can be seen strewn over the garden next to the tree which had been chopped down
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The garden at its prime in 1993 with potted plants and white stones. Howard now says council workers have turned it into a ‘wasteland’
Howard Hughes (pictured above) looks back at memories in a photo album as he reveals he is upset about the mess left in his back garden by the council
He claims council workers also trampled on shrubs, broke a statue and damaged fencing which turned his mother’s life work and ‘labour of love’ into wasteland.
Howard, a former salesman who was forced to turn full-time carer for Kathleen before her death, says his mother would be ‘turning in her grave’.
‘I cry after mum every day and the only thing I had left as a living reminder of her was her beautiful garden.
‘It was precious to me and a memorial to her memory. I used to sit out there a lot and felt close to her there, it was for me, a very special place indeed.
Some of the beautiful plants that Kathleen had grown in the garden before it was left in a mess by the council last week
Kathleen pictured in 1993 with a cute cat in the garden of her Wrexham home. Howard said that the council did not consider his feelings before chopping down the tree
‘I started getting letters about eight months ago and then in November the council came around to inspect the tree.’
Howard admitted that the council stated that the tree was a safety hazard as it had been leaning over to the neighbour’s side of the property.
‘I had told the council then if I could at least get 24 hours’ notice before they came so I could move stuff around in the garden.
‘I was told that I would be contacted before they came with the workmen, but I never got that.
Howard (pictured above) had suffered with depression after the death of his mother in 2013 and said the council’s behavior had tipped him over the edge
The garden had been a place where Howard was able to reflect on the happy memories that the two had shared together
‘At 9am on March 29, workmen came into my garden without any notice and as well as destroying the tree and with it the centerpiece of mum’s beautiful garden, they have destroyed my entire garden.’
He also said that they ‘trampled’ on the bog garden near the pond and ferns that were growing.
‘They destroyed pet graves that were at the foot of the tree and basically turned my beautiful garden into what looks like a bomb site.
‘They have taken mum’s beautiful garden and her life’s work and my only living memorial to her and personal sanctuary and completely destroyed it.
Howard has said that his mother Kathleen (above) would be turning in her grave if she could see the state of the garden
The garden is now a far cry from what it looked like in its heyday when Howard’s mother Kathleen was taking care of it
‘Mum would turn in her grave if she could see this.
‘This destruction of what is at the end of the day my privately owned property is an abomination.’
Howard believes Wrexham County Borough Council completely ignored his feelings throughout the whole process and said he had told them what the garden had meant to him and had proposed he find his own way to cut the tree down.
‘I had made inquiries into getting my own tree surgeon to cut the tree but the prices were around £400 to £800, which I couldn’t afford.
Howard (right) has been grieving the loss of his mother Kathleen (left) after her death in 2013 and said he was unable to do anything after her death
‘Before my mother died I was a salesman but then I had to quit that after my mother became ill and I became her full-time carer.
‘When she died I was grieving and suffering from depression, I couldn’t work or do anything. I couldn’t live without her.’
Howard said the garden had been his mother’s ‘labour of love’ and that he would sit for hours and watch her potter about.
‘She was a lovely person and was a Betterware saleswoman before she got ill. She had worked in that garden for over 40 years – the garden was her life.
‘I feel terrible after what the Wrexham Council have done to my mother’s garden, it was her life’s work and my only living memory of her.’
Since the death of his mother Howard has suffered depression and said this incident was enough to push him over the edge.
‘I feel sick, I had chest pains when they were attacking the garden. I thought I was going to have a heart-attack.
‘I’ve lived at the property my whole life and I loved spending time in the garden but now I can’t bear to go out there anymore.
‘It’s an atrocity what the council have done.’
Councillor David A Bithell, lead member for environment and transport at Wrexham Council, said: ‘We are sorry to hear Mr Hughes was not happy with the work, and will look into this matter further.’
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