"Ludicrous" coronavirus rules mean couple's house is Tier 2 but garden is Tier 3

A woman has branded coronavirus rules "ludicrous" as while her home is under Tier 2 restrictions her garden is in the tougher Tier 3.

Sheila Herbert lives on Riverside Park, a street in Otley, West Yorkshire, split between two areas run by separate councils in different tiers.

This means while her house is in Tier 2 the minute she steps into her garden she is in Tier 3 so must abide by its stricter rules, YorkshireLive reports.

"It's ludicrous," Sheila said. "Our house in Harrogate and our garden is in Leeds.

"Officially, my neighbours are in Tier 3 and we're in Tier 2."

The anomaly is the result of a peculiar border drawn up decades ago which means her house and garden are classed as being in two different areas..

Under the current rules people living in Tier 2 and 3 are banned from meeting people outside their household or social bubble indoors.

But while those living in Tier 2 can meet anyone outside providing their adhere to the rule of six it is illegal for those living in stricter Tier 3.

Other differences include hospitality venues in Tier 3 only being allowed to only remain open as "click and collect" or takeaway service and a ban on wedding receptions.

Sheila, who lives with her husband, said: "It's all one big conundrum."

She said a culvert runs directly underneath her garden and the underground channel of water acts as the official boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire.

"The culvert cuts right through my garden," she said. "In fact, it goes right underneath the corner of the conservatory."

"When we're in the conservatory we're in Harrogate, but when we're in the garden we're in Leeds. It's almost one toe in each county when we're stepping outside."

While most of the homeowners on Sheila's street pay their council tax to Harrogate Borough Council, a small collection of eight houses at the bottom end of Riverside Park fall under Leeds City Council's remit.

Over the years, it has thrown up a number of irregularities - from bin collections to school places - but the introduction of the government's three-tiered system has thrown another spanner into the works.

It is most problematic for 74-year-old Sheila and her husband, who have lived on the close for 18 years.

The strange quirk arose almost 50 years ago, when the houses were built above the culvert, but the boundary between the counties remained.

While the majority of houses in the town are connected to the city, most of the homes on Riverside Park are actually linked to North Yorkshire.

Just eight properties on the cul-de-sac follow the rest of Otley's links by falling under the jurisdiction of Leeds City Council.

Sheila's home straddles both.

She said: "My next-door neighbour pays her council tax to Leeds and we pay our council tax to Harrogate."

Sheila said she also fears she may be breaking the law when she goes to hear nearest supermarket.

She said: "I've just been to Sainsbury's in Otley, which is in Tier 3. I'm not really officially meant to have gone into Tier 3 am I? But what am I supposed to do?

"My daughter lives in Otley - 'real' Otley - so officially she can't come and see me, but she's in my bubble. It's a nightmare.

"Every time new announcements are made, I just think 'Am I breaking the rules?'.

"It's all one big conundrum, but I'm just being sensible."

John Coyle, 66, lives directly next door to Sheila, but unlike his neighbour, he lives in Leeds and is therefore living under Tier 3 rules.

He said: "In 20 years, this [being in Tier 2] is the only advantage everyone else on the close has had!

There are a lot more advantages to being in Leeds, because of all the local services in Otley. There are not really any advantages of living here and being classed as North Yorkshire - until now!"

A few doors down is Malcolm Hodgkins, another resident who is currently living under Tier 3 regulations.

He bought the house 45 years ago when it was first built and knows more than most about the strange invisible border that splits the friendly street in two.

He said: "There has to be a line somewhere. Unfortunately for us, it's down the middle of the street.

"But it's just the way it is. There's a war on. We've just got to get on with it."

Just when the residents thought things couldn't get more complicated, a man who lives on the close called Leeds City Council to clarify exactly which tier they live in.

The resident, who did not wish to be named, said that he was told every single home on Riverside Park is in Tier 2 - regardless of who they pay their council tax too - because all the bins on the street are collected by Harrogate Borough Council.

However, the message has not yet been conveyed to all eight homeowners linked to Leeds.