Marcus Brown was hit with a complaint after he built a six-foot fence around his property without planning permission
The fence was erected around Marcus’ home(Image: SWNS)
A homeowner at the centre of a heated planning dispute over an illegal fence has now hit out at his neighbour, calling them ‘jealous’. Marcus Brown has been forced to submit a retrospective application after a complaint was made about the six-foot high fence he built without planning permission around his property.
Speaking from his home in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, he described the objection as ‘baffling’ and claimed it was “driven by jealousy.” One resident has lodged a formal complaint and described it as a “dark and prominent” feature that has blighted the street scene.
Other neighbours have rallied to Marcus’s defence and argued the fence was an improvement, but a decision will now be made by Wiltshire Council on whether it can remain in place.
Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. And don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.
In a statement on the planning portal, Marcus said he was not aware of the “requirement that fences adjacent to a highway are generally limited to one metre without planning permission.” He said the application sought to regularise the development and he was surprised the matter had escalated into a row.
In his objection, James Sutherland urged the council to reject the application and wrote: “The proposed development is harmful to the established character and appearance of the street scene.
“The surrounding properties along Willow Grove are predominantly open-plan or feature low boundary treatments, contributing to a consistent and visually cohesive residential environment. The introduction of a 1.8m solid timber fence across the front boundary is visually prominent and out of keeping with this established pattern.
“It creates a stark and dominant feature that disrupts the openness and uniformity of the streetscape. As such, the development conflicts with local planning policies that seek to preserve the character and visual amenity of residential areas.”
Marcus said he put up the fence for privacy(Image: SWNS)
Marcus, 35, said he had no idea who had raised the objection and maintains the impact has been greatly exaggerated. He added: “It’s been blown out of proportion, it’s baffling. The whole reason we’ve done this is my daughter.
“We haven’t cut down any trees, we’d say we’ve actually improved it. Before it was overgrown, you couldn’t see round the corner in the car – that was a nightmare – you couldn’t walk past it.
“It was overgrown, disgusting, and we couldn’t see out of our window. We’ve made the area look better, planted more wildlife. As you can imagine people on this street were happy, but we’ve been punished for trying to improve it, do some good.
“You always upset someone, I just think it’s jealousy personally. I don’t even know the person who complained. Me and my wife put our life savings into this place so we can have a nice family home for my daughter, and this is how we get rewarded. I just want this to go away.”
A neighbour has complained that the fence is dark and prominent(Image: SWNS)
Mr Brown said the responses he had received from neighbours he had spoken to had been positive. He added: “All this street want this fence to stop the bushes overgrowing. It looked bad before, people couldn’t go down the path.
“We’ve tried to be as good as we can – kept noise and dust to a minimum, spent extra to get all the rubbish away. I did not even think the fence would be a problem.
“If worse comes to worse I will just have to cut it down to the next rail, and people would just be able to see into my garden, see my daughter and dogs playing.”
The retrospective application was filed on March 5, to “regularise” a fence that has already been built on their property.”
The fence is described as sitting behind a boundary wall and within their property. The applicants maintain that it does not encroach on the highway, and acts as a clear boundary marker.
Marcus put up the fence without getting planning permission(Image: SWNS)
In a planning statement, the applicant further noted that the fence improves the street scene, enhancing drivers’ line of sight and providing a clearer route for pedestrians.
Several other neighbours have voiced their support for the development. Among them were Brian Hobday, 71, and his wife Adrienne, 70. Brian said: “It’s loads better now. The pavement is free now from all the bushes, we have no problem. It enhances the area.
“They checked with us for everything they have done, we’re happy about it. You could not ask for anyone better.”
Neighbour, known only as Steve, 62, added: “People should just let people get on. They’ve got kids so put the fence up for a bit of privacy. I don’t have a problem, you could see right through the window, I wouldn’t want that.”
The councillors will reach a verdict at a later date.
