Couple’s fury as council orders them to HALVE the height of their 6ft tall fence that cost them £10,000 to install after ‘neighbours’ complained they didn’t have planning permission
- Susan Paul, 53, and her partner Andrew Doyle, 58, could face legal proceedings
- The couple now have until mid-March to cut the height of the 164ft long barrier
- It was erected in January 2020 outside their £280,000 home in Amesbury
A couple have become embroiled in row with the local council after they were ordered to halve the height of their 6ft garden fence that cost them £10,000 to install.
Wiltshire Council has issued an enforcement notice which could see Susan Paul, 53, and her partner Andrew Doyle, 58, face legal proceedings if they disobey the order.
The couple have until mid-March to cut the height of the 164ft long barrier made of close-boarded wood by 50 per cent.
They put up the fence in January 2020 outside their £280,000 home in Antrobus Road, Amesbury.
Wiltshire Council has issued an enforcement notice which could see Susan Paul (left), 53, and her partner Andrew Doyle (right), 58, face legal proceedings if they disobey the order
The couple have until mid-March to cut the height of the 164ft long barrier made of close-boarded wood by 50 per cent
But they claim they are being unfairly victimised because none of their neighbours have received the same order.
The couple say they are being picked on because ‘nothing has happened’ to the owners of several other fences in the street which they say are exactly the same height.
The council, said to have been alerted by a whistle-blower, issued the order 21 months after the fence was erected.
It stretches along both sides of their boundary facing the road on the street corner.
Susan, a former RAF administrator, said: ‘It replaced an overgrown hedge which was leaning over a path, stopping wheelchairs and mums with prams using it.’
Andrew demanded to be told by the council why no enforcement action had been taken against other householders with similar fences.
The aircraft engineer said: ‘We replaced the hedge with the fence, unaware of the need for planning permission until we suddenly had a letter out of the blue from Wiltshire Council who came after us.
They put up the fence in January 2020 outside their £280,000 home in Antrobus Road, Amesbury
But they claim they are being unfairly victimised because none of their neighbours have received the same order
The council, said to have been alerted by a whistle-blower, issued the order 21 months after the fence was erected
‘Now we have to cut it down by a half – we have to cut it down to one metre high.
‘But several fences in the road are exactly the same height, but nothing has happened about them.’
A retrospective planning application by the couple to retain the fence was rejected by the council.
Now a Government planning inspector has dismissed the couple’s appeal against an enforcement notice from the council to cut the fence in two.
In his ruling, the inspector said: ‘Other examples of conspicuous fencing are no compelling reason to accept the fencing the subject of the deemed planning application.’
Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for strategic planning, councillor Nick Botterill, said: ‘The enforcement notices in place are required to be met by March 16th 2023.
‘We would strongly encourage anyone considering undertaking development to check with the council to establish if planning permission is required before starting any works.
‘Should we receive any formal reports of any issues with other fences in the area, then we will investigate these in line with our normal processes and take appropriate action if required.’