Neighbours row over ‘ugly’ fence as council demands its removal

It may look like a normal garden fence but this 6ft wooden barrier has caused furore in a leafy residential street because neighbours are offended by its ugliness. The fence, guarding a £250,000 four-bedroom terraced house in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, has gained a number of objections from local residents. It has spilled into a bitter dispute, with the homeowner criticised for ‘not fitting in’ with the style of the rest of the street.

Gateshead Council has now demanded that the fence, which was built without planning permission, should be removed. Critics have also claimed that the owner removed ‘well established’ hedges last summer, which attracted an abundance of wildlife, to put the fence in their place. Neighbour Simon Walters, who objected to the structure, said: ‘The fencing is ugly and not in keeping with the street or surrounding area’. Paul Dillon also described the fence as ‘crude’. He said: ‘The proposal is withing the Low Fell conservation area and, as such, is out of character with the street scene.’

They say the fence doesn’t fit into a green area ‘characterised by natural hedges and the remnants of low walls’. The owners of the house only sought planning permission after already constructing the fence, with council officers rejecting their request. Officers have served an enforcement notice to pull the fence down but it’s so far remained an eyesore for people living either side. When it rejected the retrospective planning application, the local authority said: ‘The fencing appears out of character with the street scene and would lead to less than substantial harm to the significance of the Low Fell conservation area.

It added there was ‘no public benefit to outweigh that harm’. However, the applicant has now lodged an appeal over the planning decision. Neighbour Walters added: ‘If the owners who foolishly did not check planning laws are allowed to keep this horrid fencing then I feel this will only encourage others to do the same.’