A man who was promised a dropped kerb four years ago still hasn’t got one, despite being told repeatedly one would be put in.

Michael Partridge, 74, was promised a dropped kerb outside his property in Penguin Close, Strood, as part of a package of work by mhs homes in August 2021.

The other jobs, including the building of a wet room and the creation of a hard-standing area for his car outside his home, were completed but four years later, the dropped kerb is still missing.

It means every time Michael wants to park up, he has to mount the kerb and, technically, break the law.

Despite repeated chasing by Michael, his family, and even his neighbours, the work still has not been done.

Mhs homes admits there’s been a delay but says it is waiting for “the relevant permission from Medway Council”.

Michael says every time he asks, he’s always told he will get the dropped kerb he was promised, but never hears anything more.

He said: “I've been banging my head against the wall, you know. I've been contacting people, my daughter has for me, even my next-door neighbour has, but we just don't seem to get anywhere.

“If you get through to somebody, eventually they say ‘Oh yeah, we’ll sort that’ and that's it, you never hear anything back.”

When the other work was carried out, workers from mhs homes, Medway Council, and the contractors who had done the jobs all acknowledged a dropped kerb needed to be added.

Michael added: "I had eight of them around here at the same time talking about it - it was like a comedy sketch."

Michael suffers from emphysema and needs to carry an oxygen tank with him wherever he goes.

When there was a delay in getting the dropped kerb, he did suggest a disabled parking bay instead, but the only viable spot would be across the street which is too far for him to walk without serious problems.

Additionally, the hard-standing outside his home was specifically put in so he could park there and the dropped kerb was always part of the plans.

He continued: “I don't know what's taking so long. I don't think they bother anymore. I think they're waiting for me to die.

“I can't see how they keep forgetting about me, I've contacted them enough times over the years.

“Not only am I forced to break the law every time I leave the house and come home, it’s dangerous.

"There's lots of kids around here coming up and down the street on their bikes and I worry I might cause an accident."

Michael has lived in the home for 47 years and says there are other issues, including rotten wood on the gables and a fireplace which needs sealing, which mhs homes hasn’t sorted either.

He thinks the property was much better looked after when Medway Council had direct responsibility over social housing, before mhs homes bought up the stock from the authority in 1990.

He said: “I think we'd be better off having all the houses belonging back to the council instead of the housing association. They looked after them, the council.

“You just can't seem to get anywhere, it's doing my head in. I don't know what to do.

“The last result is contacting the newspapers or going to a solicitor.”

An mhs spokesperson said: “We understand Mr Partridge’s frustration at the length of time taken for the kerb to be dropped.

“The dropped kerb was agreed as part of a package of improvements that also included a new wet room and driveway, both of which have been completed.

“Unfortunately, the kerb cannot be dropped until we have the relevant permission from Medway Council. However, we’re working closely with the local authority to resolve this situation as quickly as possible for our customer.”

A Medway Council spokesperson said: “Work to install the dropped kerb is due to take place next week.

“We are investigating a delay in processing payment for the work.”

KentOnline has also asked what specifically caused the four-year hold-up.