A neighbour has spoken of his relief after Kirklees planners finally got off the fence and made a decision – over a fence.
The Examiner reported how retired plumber Gary Flowers, 68, went into battle with council planners over an 8ft fence next door.
Gary insisted the fence failed to comply with council policy – yet the council hadn’t made a decision in eight months.
Within days of a story being published by the Examiner, the council finally rejected the application, saying it was an eyesore and a road safety danger.
Even though the decision had gone his way, dad-of-two Gary said: “I don’t consider it a victory because that’s not what it was about.
“I don’t have anything against my neighbour, this was all about the council and planning policy. If this application had been approved it would have set a precedent.
“The council have been sitting on it for months and it was only when the Examiner got involved that they have made a decision.”
Gary, of Wakefield Road, Earlsheaton, Dewsbury, pointed out that a fence next to a highway needed planning permission if it was over a metre (3ft 3in) in height.
In parts the fence which surrounds the house next door is between two metres and 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) tall.
Gary said drivers emerging from the driveway couldn’t see down the road until the last minute.
Believing his protests were falling on deaf ears Gary went to extreme lengths to publicise his case, spending up to £1,500 on his one-man campaign.
He put up a sign board with slogans and banners in his front garden and had a row of toy monkeys sitting on top. He also hired a planning consultant, posted a video on YouTube and hand-delivered 7,000 letters to homes and businesses across Kirklees.
Refusing the application, the council’s decision notice said the height and design of the fence “fails to retain a sense of local identity and is not in keeping with the appearance and character of the street scene” and was “prejudicial to the visual amenity.”
It said the fence to the front of the house was “harmful to highway safety” as was the fact that cars emerging from the gateway would have to slow down or stop on a busy main road.
The fence was put up in June 2013 and the council took enforcement action before a retrospective planning application was submitted.
Gary said he now wanted the council to enforce the decision and order the fence be lowered or taken down.
