A ROW over a garden wall in Emersons Green has been settled by planners.
The row was sparked when a homeowner in Colliers Break cut down hedges and replaced them with a 2.43m (8ft) garden fence, which neighbours said spoiled the distinctive “open plan” look of the area.
South Gloucestershire Council says the fence should be removed – but has granted planning permission for a wall of the same height to replace it.
The new wall will be set back from the pavement and shrubs will be planted in front of it.
Neighbours said the planned wall would still be “too tall”.
Councillors on the development management committee heard from both sides of the argument during a meeting on August 1.
Applicant Robert Ecott said: “I believe we’re entitled to both security and reasonable privacy within our rear garden.
“I don’t feel that simply wanting a level rear garden, which forms part of the requirement for a 2.43-metre wall, is an unfair request.
“We never imagined it would escalate to this level.
“We feel it’s now become more of a personal attack, and simply no longer relates to an objection to a development.”
Walls up to 2m high can be built under permitted development rights, without getting planning permission from the local council, but anything taller needs permission.
A planning officer went around the estate “with a measuring tape”, the meeting heard, and said other boundary walls measure from 1.9m to 2.2m.
Neighbour Yvonne Jarrold said the wall “interrupts the natural flow of open frontages”.
She said: “Emersons Green was designed as an open plan estate, its distinctiveness being the number of open spaces, open frontages to houses, and landscaped amenity areas with hedges and natural habitats, all of which contribute to character, appearance and openness of the streets.
“During construction of approved extensions, the shrubs and hedges were removed and were not replaced upon completion of the works, contrary to planning conditions.
“Instead, unauthorised fencing was erected on two separate occasions.
“The wall appears to be at an awkward angle to the extension, which follows the building line to the townhouses to the east, so it appears awkward and a dominant vertical projection.”
Councillors on the committee voted in favour of granting permission.
June Bamford (Con, Hanham) said: “It’s a difficult one and I do understand what the neighbours are saying. These estates were built basically to be open plan.
“But of course, human nature being what it is, after so many years everybody wants their own privacy, so it then causes problems.
“But there are many other areas with fences, with walls. I don’t believe it will actually be out of character with the area.
“A wall always looks better than a fence.”
By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service