Are you supposed to have gardeners?

[Coffeethrowtrampbitch]

I thought it was a non essential job?

My neighbour has just had her lawn petrol mowed. Terraced house so he moved her bins onto my lawn and sprayed my lawn and house with cut grass, the smell is coming through the vents in the windows.

I'm immunosuppressed and have 3 kids so have been in isolation and I feel really anxious now. If it is banned under coronavirus rules can I ask my neighbour not to book him again until quarantine is over? Thank you

MIL's gardener was turned away by police. Told to go home, and recorded his details. Threatened with a fine if he went out without a valid reason again.

Gardener lives in the same, small village as MIL. Her garden is 5 acres, so he doesn't need to interact with MIL at all. Bit different to your case OP with the neighbours gardener in a terraced house.

Why did he put neighbours bins in your yard? Don't you have a fence? I'd be annoyed at this, but not the cut grass smell. No different to the neighbour mowing or a stranger from that perspective.

Wait a minute.
Nobody has said that people can only work if they do “essential jobs”
What has been said is that you have to work from home unless you can’t do your job from home.

Gardeners can’t work from home. Gardeners are going to work at the moment, places like National Trust, English heritage, Kew...

So it is beyond me how the police turned someone away when they were going to work.

My brother is a gardener and he is not allowed to work from home.

If the person is not coming into the house then of course they can have them working.

I don't understand why a gardener would be turned away by the police. That sounds rather over-zealous to me. I know two gardeners who are still currently working. According to the government guidance, tradespeople are allowed to continue visiting your house, as long as no one has any CV symptoms:

"Work carried out in people’s homes, for example by tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms. Again, it will be important to ensure that Public Health England guidelines, including maintaining a 2 metre distance from any household occupants, are followed to ensure everyone’s safety."

www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others#going-to-work

What @Jellycatfox said

In fact, in Scotland it's been positively encouraged.

'"If they can go about their business safely this can be good for the community and we would encourage them to do so," said Ms Sturgeon

You don't have to be a key worker to work outside the house. This seems a common misunderstanding on here.

We haven't had gardeners, but I have had my gutters and windows done, and had a tyre change on the drive.

As long as you are not coming into contact with anyone, and the job can't be done from home, outdoor workers are fine. The police up-thread were wrong.

Thank you everyone for replying.
I'm in Scotland, I'm not concerned about the smell, it's just if the grass can get through the vents then so can anything the gardener is carrying. He had no ppe on at all and walked through my neighbours' home to do the back garden as there is no access. He was closer than 6 feet to the occupants of our house and on our property, as the neighbours' bin lid was lying in our flowerbed and he has replaced it on their bin.

If it's allowed to do gardening then fair enough I won't ask for it to stop but I might ask him if he can stop using my garden to store her bins on - she keeps her bins on her front grass next to my house, but I don't want them on my grass at the moment even for a short time.

Agree, they can't work from home so can come. No contact obvs, they're in a better position than lots of other self employed

There is guidance on this. I can’t find the link right now but in a nutshell tradespeople can come and work at your house if they can keep 2m away.

There is no rule that only essential workers can go to work. The rule is you can only travel to work if it is “necessary” to travel i.e. if you cannot work from home. This has been misinterpreted as meaning essential work only.

I'm a gardener and still working. I'm very careful not to touch garden chairs, tables,handrails. I don't enter houses. Have a short chat with customers from a distance

What are her bins going to do to your grass if they're on there for a short time?

“ MIL's gardener was turned away by police. Told to go home, and recorded his details. Threatened with a fine if he went out without a valid reason again”

He should complain. That is not within the guidelines.

Dm's gardener has continued to visit every other week. Only stays outside and brings own refreshments. From my pov it is another pair of eyes looking out for her, and a contact and diversion for her.

It's been very unclear here in England. It's not essential work, but it's easy for a gardener to keep a distance to work (mostly).

Scotland made it clear it was okay.

My gardener has decided not to work a the time being which is a shame as I have a big bush that needs trimming

Of course it's non essential

😳😳

Mini pie “ The rule is you can only travel to work if it is “necessary” to travel i.e. if you cannot work from home. This has been misinterpreted as meaning essential work only.”

Exactly, I wish they’d clarify this sort of thing at the daily briefing.

Anybody whose work cannot be done from home but has to be done can go to work.

They just have to ensure that they are social distancing and protecting workers and customers.

Its really incredibly simple.
Read the .gov.uk link

My mum still has hers. He doesn't come in contact with them at all.

My gardener came this week (thank God!)

Why wouldn't he?

OP if it had been your neighbour mowing their own lawn you would have had the same issues so........