A MARSDEN businessman is locked in a long running council row ... over a set of railings.
It began when the Fire Authority ordered Adam Byram to install the railings to protect the doorway to his clothing shop, Cellar Scene in Derby Terrace.
Kirklees Council ruled the railings were an obstruction - although Mr Byram insists the council's rubbish bins project further onto the pavement.
He contested the decision and officers agreed to widen the pavement - at his expense - and to remove their bins.
Now, 12 months on, Mr Byram has been told the council is not to widen the pavement.
But it is remove his railings - at his expense.
And the council bins are still there.
Now Mr Byram claims the council is stifling private enterprise by over-zealous planning restrictions.
He said: "Kirklees Council does nothing to encourage people who are in business.
"I have thought about walking away on many occasions.
"The council should make more of an effort to encourage people who provide local businesses.
"Not everyone wants to commute into Huddersfield town centre for everything."
The railings were installed after the Fire Authority served a prohibition notice on Mr Byram because of a lack of his fire exit from his cellar.
The railings are required to prevent someone putting a bin or parking a car over the fire exit, which emerges from the cellar to ground level.
Mr Byram said he lost £3,000 worth of stock in a burglary after Kirklees Council forced him to remove shutters from the business, because they looked "too industrial".
Mr Richard Bunney, Kirklees Council's highways network manager, said: "Mr Byram has built an obstruction on the highway without a licence.
"The decision to remove the railings was made by councillors at the Cabinet meeting in March and was supported by local members.
"We tried to find a way round it but somebody in Marsden objected.
"We had no alternative but to enforce the Highways Act and ask Mr Byram to remove the obstruction."
He added: "The bins will have to go."
