Norfolk homeowner wins battle over 'unacceptable' fence

Jake Exton, who lives at his home in Lynn Road, Terrington St Clement, was forced to submit a retrospective application for the wooden boundary even though they were not responsible for putting it up.

He argued the previous owner had erected it in 2019 and they were unaware they had not received permission to do so, only finding out when they applied for an extension to the property. 

The Terrington St Clement village sign (Image: Newsquest)

West Norfolk Council decided to refuse the bid, arguing it was "detrimental to the street scene" and "unduly prominent".

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The authority's senior ecologist also complained that a well-established hedgerow, which would have supported an array of wildlife, was cut down to make way for the fence and feared it could have affected the biodiversity of the plot. 

Trees and hedgerows were chopped down to make way for the fence in Terrington St Clement (Image: Google)

But Mr Exton took the matter to the secretary of state and appealed against the decision.

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He argued they have not had any complaints or issues raised about the fence and that they kept it well-maintained to prevent it from being an eyesore on the street.

He also said it was vital to keep the fence height to ensure their family pets were kept safe and unable to jump over onto the road.

"It feels like we are now being punished for the incompetence of the previous owners when we have done our best to follow planning rules," he added. 

Despite the threat of being forced to take it down, Mr Exton later won his appeal against the council.

The planning inspector ruled that it was a similar size boundary to other nearby homes and that the residential area is characterised by homes of mixed design, therefore it did not look out of place.