Villagers pay £200,000 to get home

The property company bought the land in 1999

Residents of a village have paid more than £200,000 to ensure they can have access to their own homes.

The deal concludes a four-year dispute with the owner of the land they have to drive across to get to the village of Newtown Common, in Hampshire.

The saga started when Bakewell Management bought the land, between Basingstoke and Newbury, and demanded payment from the 20 residents.

They had to pay 2% of the market value of their homes by the deadline set by the company, or risk having to pay 6%.

The House of Lords is currently examining whether the loophole exploited by the company can be closed.

Bakewell Management bought the land, which contains the only road linking residents' houses to the main road, in 1999.

The residents, some of whom are in their eighties, have been fighting the case in the courts ever since.

They decided on Wednesday finally to share the £200,000 cost between them.